NHAI Awards ₹45 Cr Contract to Strengthen 55-km Thanjavur–Pudukottai Highway in Tamil Nadu

For this project, the NHAI would procure Rs 45 crore’s worth of contract for strengthening approximately 55 kilometers of the Thanjavur-Pudukottai National Highway, taking into consideration Gandarvakottai in Tamil Nadu. The works will be taken up for about two months under a Performance-Based Maintenance Contract (PBMC), the first-of-its-kind in Tamil Nadu, whereby the contractor will be maintaining the upgraded road segment for an additional five years.

“Under the announcement by a senior NHAI official to the reporters, most of the groundwork for the preliminary has been completed; the entire strengthening works should then be expected to last for not more than a year after this. Indeed, after observation of the above, such a busy corridor got deteriorated with the passing years.”

“This represents a paradigm shift in highway management for Tamil Nadu, combining construction and long-term maintenance under one package so that roads are built better,” said the official.

After a successful completion of the same works between Thirumayam (Pudukottai district) and Manamadurai (Sivaganga district), the completion results for the present project from the 75km stretch for which rehabilitation works were under ₹35 crore. Work began in June 2024 and has now finished, although with minor touches, such as fixing road signs.

In addition, NHAI is currently preparing DPR for the design of four-lane highways from Tiruchi to Karaikudi, traversing the Tiruchi, Pudukottai, and Sivaganga districts. Finalization of this DPR will lead to further submission for approvals for funding from NHAI headquarters in New Delhi by November-December 2025.

Hence, the sequenced interventions will improve connectivity and road safety in Central and Southern districts of Tamil Nadu while facilitating the national modernization and maintenance of such critical transport infrastructure.