Tamil Nadu Highway Projects Worth ₹2,343 Crore Inaugurated Alongside VOC Port Investments

Tamil Nadu’s road and port infrastructure received a significant boost on Sunday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating two four-lane national highway projects covering 66 kilometres, railway station upgrades and new investments at Thoothukudi’s V.O. Chidambaranar Port. The two highway projects, implemented under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), represent a combined investment of ₹2,343 crore.

Madurai Ring Road Section Opens After Delays

The ₹1,025-crore Vadipatti–Thamaraipatti section of National Highway 744A forms a 30-kilometre stretch of Madurai’s ring road. Construction began in March 2020, with completion originally scheduled for March 2022. However, the project was completed only on August 31, more than four years after its planned deadline.

The corridor includes 11 kilometres of service roads, two flyovers, four major bridges and 29 minor bridges. It also features a wildlife overpass and a partial cloverleaf interchange, designed to support traffic movement along the route.

The opening marks the completion of a long-delayed road section intended to improve connectivity around Madurai. Its service roads and grade-separated structures form part of the infrastructure provided along the corridor.

Bypass Connects Srivilliputhur and Rajapalayam

The second project is the ₹1,318-crore Vadugapatti–Therkuvenganallur section of NH-744 in Virudhunagar district. Extending 36 kilometres, the road was completed on June 13 and includes a combined 28-kilometre bypass serving Srivilliputhur and Rajapalayam.

The highway incorporates 17 kilometres of service roads, two railway overbridges and 33 bus shelters. Together, the two highway projects cover 66 kilometres and account for ₹2,343 crore in investment.

Railway Upgrades and Thoothukudi Port Projects

Modi also inaugurated redeveloped railway stations at Palani, Paramakudi and Ambasamudram, all within Southern Railway’s Madurai division. They are among five stations upgraded across Tamil Nadu under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with combined investment exceeding ₹70 crore. Namakkal and Vellore Cantonment are the other stations included.

At V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi, eight projects worth ₹753.68 crore were inaugurated or had their foundation stones laid. The largest is the ₹517.19-crore conversion of Berth 7 into a container terminal, designed to add annual handling capacity of 4.2 lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Other investments include an ₹81.33-crore green hydrogen facility, a ₹38.12-crore methanol bunkering facility and a ₹47.46-crore port road measuring 3.37 kilometres. Additional projects cover solar power generation, four electric buses, a terminal for 230 trucks and mechanised fertiliser bagging.

The highway, railway and port developments represent investment across several parts of Tamil Nadu’s transport network, spanning regional road connectivity, passenger rail facilities and cargo-handling infrastructure.