: The widening of the East Coast Road-Vandavasi-Polur High Road has been completed more than three years since the work began in February 2021. The two-lane stretch has been opened to traffic. The work is part of the Chennai-Kanniyakumari Industrial Corridor project under the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) undertaken by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The ECEC project aims to connect key coastal cities like Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Kanniyakumari .In Tamil Nadu, 16 key routes have been taken up for widening work under the project, which is funded by the Asian Development Fund (ADB). “The ECR-Vandavasi-Polur Road will help better the connectivity between key towns in the northern region of the State. The stretch will also help motorists to skip congested roads in towns to reach neighbouring districts,” S. Lakshmanan, Divisional Engineer, ECEC (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu.With a massive outlay of ₹603 crore, the stretch was widened into two-lane paved shoulders that would ensure the road’s durability. The widened road would be 21 metres wide with storm water drains, reflectors, blinkers and signages.Officials of ECEC said that three bypasses were also built as part of the work to help motorists especially goods-laden lorries easily access highways without having to pass through congested areas. The bypasses are located at Marutham near Melmaruvathur (15 km), Vandavasi town (6 km) and Chetpet town (4 km). They also reduce travel time and fuel costs. The stretch also has an underpass at Vandavasi and a high level bridge across Cheyyar river at Chetpet to provide uninterrupted connectivity for long distance travellers. “The stretch provides safe connectivity from ECR to reach Bengaluru, Coimbatore and Tirupati bypassing congested GST [Grand Southern Trunk Road],” said S. Vimal, a motorist. As part of eco-friendly measures, the stretch also has over 600 solar-powered LED streetlights. High-mast lamps have also been installed at nearly 12 spots, mostly intersections and accident-prone spots, along the route. Additionally, unlike other highways, the stretch has over 120 separate toilets for men, women and persons with disabilities.More than 6,000 saplings of native species are also being planted on either sides of the stretch, to replace over 400 trees uprooted for the work and increase green cover. Published – September 18, 2024 11:22 pm IST