Mumbai, Aug. 12 -- The National Highways Authority of India has floated a Rs1,216 million (mn) tender to construct three vehicular underpasses along the Trichy-Chennai National Highway to eliminate persistent accident blackspots within Trichy city limits. The project will deliver six-lane underpasses at three critical intersections in the municipal area. The investment seeks to address a pattern of collisions attributed to local traffic intersecting high-speed highway streams.
The underpasses are proposed for Sanjeevi Nagar, Kollidam Y road and Maruti Nagar junctions, locations that have recorded more than 50 traffic fatalities since 2021. Bids are scheduled to open in September 2026 and the authority has set a completion target of 18 months from award. Contract packaging and detailed design are expected to prioritise uninterrupted through movement while providing safe local access. Evaluation of submissions will follow the authority's standard technical and financial criteria.
The scheme is designed to isolate through traffic bound for Chennai and Madurai by channelising city-bound commuters onto service roads and side lanes, thereby reducing conflict points. Traffic management provisions will include segregated lanes and grade separation to improve flow and reduce exposure of vulnerable road users. A separate tender for an elevated rotary at the G Corner junction is expected shortly following representations by the Trichy Member of Parliament Durai Vaiko to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Preliminary traffic modelling informed the alignment and ramp designs.
The authority indicated that the works form part of a broader corridor safety initiative and said tendering will follow standard procurement and compliance protocols. Local agencies will coordinate utility relocation and temporary traffic diversions during construction to minimise disruption. Implementation of the underpasses is anticipated to materially improve road safety outcomes within the city. Coordination with local municipal agencies is expected to support timely completion and post-construction maintenance planning. Stakeholders will monitor progress against safety and schedule benchmarks during delivery.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.