Mayiladuthurai Bypass Gets ₹187 Crore Boost After Years of Delay

The much-awaited Mayiladuthurai bypass project, which was proposed over a decade ago, has finally received some financial allocations of ₹187 crore from the Highways and Minor Ports Department of Tamil Nadu. First proposed in 2010, the project lay frozen for most years till the push in 2021, when ₹57 crore was announced for land acquisition along the course of the 16.88-km bypass project.

Now it has gained strength and seed money for actual lift-off, and promises to decongest this town highly.
Traffic-heavy town Mayiladuthurai sounds quite promising with linking regional corridors with bypass routes. The four major roads link this new route: Chennai–Kumbakonam Road, Nagapattinam–Mayiladuthurai Road, Poompuhar-Kallanai Road, and Mayiladuthurai–Tiruvarur Road-to improve intra-district as well as inter-district connectivity.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mayiladuthurai MLA S. Rajakumar confirmed that the renewed push came after he raised the issue in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly session. “In the first phase, ₹113 crore has been approved for building a 10-km stretch from Thiruvizhundur to the District Collectorate via Mannampandal. The second phase, covering the remaining 5.88 km from the Collectorate to Mayiladuthurai–Thiruthuraipoondi Road, has been allocated ₹72.35 crore,” he said.

Also estimated, ₹15 crore would go toward constructing a bridge across the river Cauvery as part of the bypass setup.

Rajakumar added that once completed, the bypass would dramatically improve access to and from Mayiladuthurai, both for those who live in the towns and those who are traveling further afield. The entire work should be finished within two years.

This bypass is believed to be the backbone infrastructure for the district, expected to generate assets for the future economy, relieve urban congestion, and create seamless transit through eastern Tamil Nadu.