Government of Tamil Nadu Welcomes You

The road infrastructure is main catalyst for the development of important key sectors of economy like Agriculture, Industry, Mining, Energy, Forestry and Dairy Development. These sectors are mainly depending on the development and maintenance of the road network and efficient transportation system. Generally, Tamil Nadu has made appreciable investment in development of wide road network in the State and achieved so far to its credit a road length of 60,901 km in various categories viz., National Highways, State Highways, Major District Roads, Other District Roads and Sugar cane roads.

Besides improving the roads, for maintaining and preserving the existing road network the Honourable Chief Minister had announced a special maintenance programme on Government roads.

As the agricultural produce and the finished products of small-scale industries in rural areas are to be moved from the producing centres to the marketing centres, the road connectivity is essential for rural population. Hence, the Government of Tamil Nadu is very keen on the upliftment of the rural population for which the Highways Department is giving attention to the extent possible in providing interior roads in villages. Further, effective steps are also undertaken to provide connectivity with all weather roads to movement of passengers and goods traffic with safety, economy and in the quickest possible time.

The growth in traffic to and from the ports has been of a very high order. The Tamil Nadu Maritime Board was formed, with a view to develop minor ports in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Maritime Board gives high priority to the industrialisation of the State by encouraging setting up captive ports, jetties, moorings by the port based industries and multi user ports on BOOT basis. With a view to attract private sector participation, a Port Policy has been framed. The Port Policy also promotes ship breaking/ repairing industry, leisure and water sports activities in Tamil Nadu.

Highways Department undertakes construction, improvements, renewal and maintenance of road network under its control. This road network includes bridges, causeways, culverts, Road Over Bridges and Road Under Bridges . Following are the classification of road network:-

According to traffic intensity, the roads are being classified as National Highways, State Highways, Major District Roads and Other District Roads. When the traffic intensity is more than 30,000 PCUs, such roads are classified as National Highways. Where the traffic intensity is more than 10,000 PCUs but less than 30,000 PCUs, such roads are classified as State Highways. Likewise, if the traffic intensity is less than 10,000 PCUs but more than 5,000 PCUs, such roads are categorised as Major District Roads. All the other roads, where the traffic intensity is less than 5,000 PCUs, are classified as Other District Roads. Whenever the traffic intensity increases more than the specified norms in a particular category. necessary steps are taken to upgrade such categories of Roads to the respective higher categories. With this backdrop, each classification is detailed hereunder:

These are main highways running through the length and breadth of the country connecting major ports, state capitals, large industrial and tourist Centres etc.

While the traffic on National Highways has been growing due to acceleration of industrialisation in the Country, the Government of India are taking matching action utilising latest technologies and improved management techniques to provide hindrance-free traffic movement by way of widening roads, grade separators, construction of bypasses, bridges, rail-road crossings etc. The Government of Tamil Nadu is providing support to Government of India towards this objective and assist in pre-construction activities for four laning or six laning or cement concreting of National Highways wherever possible depending upon the site conditions. The endeavour of Government of Tamil Nadu is to accelerate the growth trend of the National Highways network in Tamil Nadu. The length of the National Highways in Tamil Nadu as on date is 3850 Km.

These are arterial routes of a state linking district headquarters and important cities within the state and connecting them with National Highways or Highways of the neighbouring states. Of the total length of 7163 Km of State Highways, 2050 km is single lane, 936 Km is intermediate lane, 3980 km is double lane, and 197 Km is multilane. The Government of Tamil Nadu have, therefore, decided to widen and strengthen the entire length of single lane and intermediate lane to double lane and strengthen double lane and multilane with improvement to geometrics etc.,

These are important roads within a district serving areas of production and markets and connecting these with each other or with the Main Highways. It also connects Taluk headquarters and District headquarters. Of the total length of 7362 Km of Major District Roads, 4797 Km is single lane, 757 km is intermediate lane, 1761 Km is double lane and 47 Km is multilane. As Major District Roads catalyse the inflow of resources into development within districts, the Government of Tamil Nadu have shown keen interest to widen the entire length of single lane and intermediate lane to double lane and strengthen double lane and multilane with improvement to geometrics in different stages depending upon the site conditions and financial resources.

These are roads serving rural areas of production and providing them with outlet to market centres, Taluk headquarters, Block Development headquarters or other main roads. Of the total length of 40963 Km of Other District Roads as on date, merely 898 km is intermediate lane, 680 Km is double lane and 37 Km is multilane. As these roads are intended to generate sound economy in rural areas, the Government of Tamil Nadu have immense interest to improve the existing damaged 27892 km of single lane section, 679 km of intermediate lane section, 26 km of multilane section and renewal of 483 km of double lane section with improvement to geometrics etc., utilising loan assistance from Financial Institutions and providing State share to the extent required.

To cross water-bodies and Railway Level Crossings across the road alignments, Highways Department undertakes construction of Major Bridges, Minor Bridges, Causeways, Culverts, Road Over Bridges and Road Under Bridges depending upon the site conditions.

An assessment made indicates that there are large number of bridges on Government Roads, which were constructed decades back are now in a distressed condition and require to be reconstructed. The Government is, therefore, taking action to reconstruct these bridges in a phased manner. On this basis, it has been announced to reconstruct 204 bridges on Government roads in Delta districts. Of which, 94 bridges on Other District Roads have been taken up with loan assistance from NABARD. 27 bridges on State Highways have been proposed to be taken up under Central Road Fund scheme. 48 bridges on Major District Roads have been proposed to be taken up with loan assistance from NABARD. In addition, a need has arisen to construct quite a large number of bridges based on the request of Public representatives.

Construction of Over/Under Bridges in lieu of the existing level crossings on Government roads is undertaken where train vehicle units exceed one Lakhs. These works are recommended for inclusion in the Railway Works Programme on priority basis, depending upon the availability of funds and importance of these works. The State Government and the Railways share the cost of construction of Railway Over/Under Bridges including approaches on 50:50 basis. 26 works are now recommended by the Government to Railways for inclusion in Railway Works Programme 2002-2003.

In order to achieve the objectives listed in "POLICY OUTLINE", the following schemes shall be undertaken during 2003 – 2004.

The length of National Highways in Tamil Nadu is 3850 Km. With the funds allocated by Government of India, the National Highways roads are improved, maintained and renewed. In the draft Annual Plan 2003-2004, proposals for Rs.196.04 crores has been sent to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India and is likely to be approved shortly. In the meantime, detailed estimates are being prepared for the works included in the draft Annual Plan 2003-2004.

Besides, in Tamil Nadu the National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) have proposed to upgrade the following NHs to four-lane/ six-lane under the Golden Quadrilateral and North-South corridor projects.

1. NH4 (Poonamallee-Kanchipuram-Wallajah section)	93.00 km
2. NH 5 (Chennai-Kolkata road)	42.00 km
3. NH 7 (Athipalli-Hosur-Krishnagiri section)	45.40 km
4. NH 46 (Krishnagiri-Vaniyambadi-Pallikonda-Wallajah section)	143.00km
TOTAL	323.40km

1. NH7 (Bangalore-Salem-Madurai section)	347 Km
2. NH7 (Madurai-Kanyakumari section)	232 Km
3. NH47 (Salem-Cochin section)	182 Km
TOTAL	761 Km

Apart from the above, the National Highways Authority of India have also taken up improvements to the following National Highways Road which is in progress:

Four laning and strengthening of NH 45 from Km 67/0-122/0 (55 Km) and strengthening of existing road from Km 27/8-67/0 (39.20Km) under BOT Annuity scheme.

Thus, in Tamil Nadu, out of 3850 Km of National Highways, 1179 Km is proposed to be upgraded to four lane / six lane out of which works are in progress in about 400 Km of National Highways.

The total length of State Highways roads as on date is 7163 km. The Government have now embarked upon a massive programme of envisaging to widen and strengthen entire length of single lane and intermediate lane to double lane and strengthen the double lane and multilane with improvement to geometrics etc., at a cost of Rs.2500 crores in a phased manner during 2002-2006 under the Hon'ble Chief Minister's Highways Development Programme.

Under Part II Scheme for the year 2003-2004, 14 bridges at an ultimate cost of Rs.503.00 lakhs have been proposed to be reconstructed.

The total length of Major District Roads as on date is 7362 Km. The Government have now embarked upon a massive programme of envisaging to widen and strengthen the entire length of single lane and intermediate lane to double lane and strengthen the double lane and multilane with improvement to geometrics at a cost of Rs.1850 crores in a phased manner during 2002-2006 under the Hon'ble Chief Minister's Highways Development Programme.

The total length of Other District Roads as on date is 40963 km. The Government have now embarked upon a massive programme of envisaging to improve the existing damaged 27892 km of single lane section, 679 km of intermediate lane section, 26 km of multilane section and renewal of 483 km of double lane section with improvement to geometrics etc., at a cost of Rs.2300 crores in phased manner during 2002-2006 under the Hon'ble Chief Minister's Highways Development Programme.