Deccan Chronicle 06.01.2010

State to upgrade roads in 11 towns

Jan. 5: For possibly the first time in India, the Tamil Nadu government has embarked on a pilot project in 11 towns to develop roads and upgrade them to international standards. The planning of the projects that started a month ago under the Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Project would analyse the mobility and safety aspects of road infrastructure before they are implemented in other towns.

According to Mr M.S. Srinivasan, advisor, Tamil Nadu Urban Development fund, the first nine months of the project would be devoted to designing and execution of work would be taken up in the following 18 months. The project would be done in a phased manner, initially in towns including Tirunelveli, Madurai, Tiruchy, Tirupur, Karur, Inamkarur, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Valasarvakkam and Alandur, he noted.

In the first phase, towns and cities where the underground drainage scheme had already been completed were taken up and a separate fund — Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Fund — was set up with an annual allocation of Rs 1,000 crore. He added that the objective was to develop sustainable roads with stormwater drains, underground ducts for cables, barrier-free footpaths, medians, lane marking, road signs and streetlights. He said green cover would be provided wherever possible. A geographical information system-based study would be carried out to assess the existing infrastructure and the upgrade required.