Four-lane Polur–Chengam road project launched at Rs 60 crore cost

The long-cherished demand for a four-lane road between Polur and Chengam took a major step forward on Monday with the inauguration of a key road expansion project by Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports E.V. Velu.
The Minister formally launched the widening of the 10-kilometre Polur–Chengam State Highway stretch from two lanes to four lanes at a function held at Vilvarani village in Kalasappakkam taluk of Tiruvannamalai district.
The project is being executed at an estimated cost of Rs. 60 crore.
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Ku. Pichandi, Tiruvannamalai District Collector K. Tharpagaraj, Tiruvannamalai Member of Parliament C.N. Annadurai, Chengam MLA M.P. Giri and Kalasappakkam MLA P.S.T. Saravanan attended the event.
Addressing the gathering, E.V. Velu said the project had received administrative and technical sanction under the Chief Minister’s Road Development Scheme of the State government led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. He said work on the project commenced on Monday.
The Minister said several infrastructure initiatives had been implemented in the Kalasappakkam Assembly constituency, including the construction of multiple bridges across the Thenpennai and Cheyyar rivers.
He added that key arterial roads such as Thirukovilur Road and Dharmapuri Road had already been upgraded to four-lane standards, while similar improvements had been carried out in the Vandavasi–Seyyar
region.
He said the 41-kilometre Chengam–Polur Vasur stretch would be widened in phases, with the remaining section proposed to be taken up under National Highways
funding.
The upgraded road is expected to reduce travel time, improve road safety and aid farmers in transporting produce.
It will also improve access to the Parvathamalai temple. Nearly four lakh people from Polur, Vasur, Pettai, Kangeyanur, Kalasappakkam Mottur, Poondi, Elathur and Vilvarani are expected to benefit.
District Revenue Officer I. Irampradeepan, Divisional Engineer Gnanavelu, Circle Monitoring Engineer Murali, Assistant Engineer Sasikumar and other officials were present.