Aadhav seeks urgent steps to curb road deaths, highway accidents in TN

Chennai: state PWD and highways minister Aadhav Arjuna on Tuesday urged Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari to take urgent measures to reduce rising road accidents and fatalities on national highways in Tamil Nadu by improving the road infrastructure in the state. He also sought him to grant clearance to a series of key highway expansion projects across the state.

During a meeting with Gadkari in Delhi, the minister submitted a memorandum highlighting the need for stronger road safety measures in view of the 71,313 road accidents and 18,421 deaths reported in Tamil Nadu last year. He wanted strict implementation of the road safety policy, increase in highway patrol and ambulance services through the NHAI, establishment of trauma care hospitals along highways, and safer U-turn facilities.

Aadhav also sought approval for upgrading around 1,500km of four-lane national highways in the state into six-lane corridors to address growing traffic congestion, freight movement and urban expansion.

The memorandum included demands for expansion of the Chengalpattu-Tindivanam stretch on NH-32 into six/eight lanes, six-laning of the Coimbatore bypass stretch between Neelambur and Madukkarai on NH-544, and widening of the Tiruchy (Panjapur)-Jeeyapuram-Karur stretch on NH-81 into six lanes.

He wanted an access-controlled six-lane highway with service roads between Karur and Coimbatore on NH-81, elevated corridors between Madhavaram and Cholavaram on NH-16 and between Maduravoyal and Sriperumbudur on NH-48, widening of the Uppilipalayam flyover ring road, and approval for projects under the central road and infrastructure fund for 2026-27.