Perambalur Collector K.Karpagam inspecting the construction of a vehicular underpass at Padalur on Chennai-Tiruchi National Highway on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Perambalur Collector K.Karpagam has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to improve lighting and road safety arrangements at the construction sites of a couple of vehicular underpasses (VUPs) coming up at Padalur and Naranamangalam on Chennai-Tiruchi National Highway.
Ms. Karpagam, inspected the progress of the construction of the VUPs and road safety measures at the work sites on Sunday. The inspection was carried out following complaints of frequent accidents at the two sites raised at the District Road Safety Council meeting recently, according to official sources.
The Collector was accompanied by Shyamala Devi, Superintendent of Police, Perambalur, and Praveen Kumar, Project Director, NHAI, Tiruchi.
While the 1.4-km-long VUP at Naranamangalam is being built at a cost of ₹ 41 crore, the one at Padalur has been sanctioned at an estimate of ₹ 32 crore.
Following the inspection, she instructed the NHAI officials to install additional lights at the two sites to improve visibility and help people and vehicles cross the areas without difficulty during nights.
She suggested that adequate signboards with reflectors be installed along the work sites to alert motorists to the ongoing construction work. The service lanes should be levelled without undulations, she said and requested the NHAI to complete the works as per schedule.
The Collector also directed the NHAI to initiate steps to remove the defunct toll plaza at Perali on Perambalur-Athur-Thanjavur Road.
According to NHAI sources, nearly 60% of the works on the VUPs has been completed so far and efforts are being made to complete the same by September or October.
