Widening work on Bukkathurai-Uthiramerur Road to be completed soon

Work to widen a 7-km stretch of Uthiramerur-Bukkathurai Road, State Highway, at a cost of ₹54 crore will be completed soon. Bukkathurai is located 15 km from Maduranthakam in Chengalpattu district. The 18-km road provides connectivity to motorists to places including Sirukuzhi, Nelvoy, Mangalam and Kanvai.

Work to widen a 7-km stretch of Uthiramerur-Bukkathurai Road, State Highway, at a cost of ₹54 crore will be completed soon.

Bukkathurai is located 15 km from Maduranthakam in Chengalpattu district. The 18-km road provides connectivity to motorists to places including Sirukuzhi, Nelvoy, Mangalam and Kanvai.

C. Premkumar, of Uthiramerur, said that currently, the road was being widened at two stretches. “We want the entire length to be widened and strengthened. As an extension of these works, lighting also must be provided to improve road safety. The road has many urban settlements and considering the large number of pedestrians, who use these locations, lighting is essential. The sides should also be paved with concrete blocks,” he added.

The works are being carried out as part of the Chief Minister’s Road Development Programme for the year 2021-2022.

Motorists also wanted new saplings to be planted in place of trees cut down for the project. “Many times, the saplings fail to grow or are not taken proper care of. Take the case of Periyapalayam Road for instance, it used to have thick green cover. It is at least five years since it was widened. But the trees have just vanished. We need tamarind trees to be planted alongside the roads since they have been here for a long time,” a cab driver said.

Highways Minister E.V. Velu, who recently inspected the works, said the project had been taken up as part of works worth ₹2,500 crore and running to a length of 252 km. For 2022-23, work on a total of 150 km of roads, at a cost of ₹1,406 crore, have been taken up, he said. Mr. Velu said 10 saplings would be planted in place of each tree that would be cut down to make way for the road.