Raja talks to Nitin Gadkari on NH projects in Coimbatore-Nilgiri zone

Ooty: A. Raja, lawmaker from the Nilgiris LS constituency, met Union Minister for Highways and Transport Mr. Nitin Gadkari and sought his intervention on the four pending national highway projects in the Coimbatore zone that includes Nilgiris LS constituency.

Mr. Raja, in his memorandum submitted to Mr. Gadkari, stated that though a detailed study on the Coimbatore-Sathyamangalam (65 kms) national highway project was concluded, the project is pending for a decade now. He stated this project should be sanctioned tode-congest traffic and make it a by-pass road for Coimbatore. It will also help traffic to the Nilgiris and adjoining Kerala state.

Likewise, the eastern by-pass road (54 kms) project which is pending for 12 years is needed to connect Trichy Road with Mettupalayam in the foothills of the Nilgiris via Sathyamangalam.

The Coimbatore-Karur (114 kms) national highway project for which the route map was released two years ago needs to be taken up to de-congest traffic between Coimbatore and Palladam. The L&T by-pass road (28 kms), is a project which has been pending due to some unresolved issues between NHAI and L&T. This road project is a necessity to reduce the accident ratio and help reach Coimbatore airport from the Pollachi and Palakad regions faster, Mr. Raja noted.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mooted the idea to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024. Economists say that this will require a growth rate of over 12% per year. To accelerate growth, you are well aware that infrastructure has to be strengthened,”

Mr.Raja noted in the memorandum and appealed to Mr.Gadkari to take steps to complete the four national highway projects at the earliest.