Did Cabinet Approve Rs 2,157 Crore for 4-Laning Marakkanam–Puducherry Highway in TN?

New Delhi, Aug 8 (NationPress) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has officially sanctioned the construction of a 4-lane highway linking Marakkanam to Puducherry in Tamil Nadu, encompassing a distance of 46 km.

This ambitious project will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) with a total investment of Rs 2,157 crore.

At present, the connectivity among Chennai, Puducherry, Viluppuram, and Nagapattinam hinges on the congested 2-lane National Highway 332A (NH-332A) and various state highways, which face severe congestion issues, especially in densely populated areas and pivotal towns along the route.

“This initiative aims to transform approximately 46 km of NH-332A from Marakkanam to Puducherry into a 4-lane highway, alleviating congestion, enhancing safety, and satisfying the transportation demands of rapidly expanding towns like Chennai, Puducherry, Viluppuram, and Nagapattinam,” stated an official communiqué from the Cabinet.

The project’s design will connect with two significant National Highways (NH-32, NH-332) and two state highways (SH-136, SH-203), ensuring seamless access to crucial economic, social, and logistics hubs throughout Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, the upgraded route will bolster multi-modal integration by linking with two railway stations (Puducherry, Chinnababusamudram), two airports (Chennai, Puducherry), and a minor port (Cuddalore), thereby expediting the movement of goods and passengers across the area.

Once completed, the Marakkanam-Puducherry stretch will be instrumental in fostering regional economic growth, enhancing connectivity between major religious and economic centers, promoting tourism in Puducherry, and unlocking new prospects for trade and industrial expansion. The undertaking is expected to create approximately 8 lakh person-days of direct employment and 10 lakh person-days of indirect employment, paving the way for growth and prosperity in adjacent areas, the statement added.

In parallel, India’s National Highway network has surged from 91,000 km in 2014 to more than 1.46 lakh km today, establishing it as the second-largest road network globally, as per official statistics.

Government investment in road infrastructure has increased by 6.4 times from 2013–14 to 2024–25, and the budget allocation for road transport and highways has risen by 57% from 2014 to 2023–24, reflecting a robust push towards infrastructure that is driving economic growth in the nation.