Work has commenced to widen a portion of the existing four-lane Krishnagiri-Ranipet High Road (SH-24) into a six-lane stretch at V.C. Mottur village near Walajah town in Ranipet.
Officials from the State Highways Department, which maintains the stretch, stated that widening the road, particularly at the intersection with the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 44), is crucial to prevent accidents, especially during the night.
The stretch near the intersection is narrow, making it difficult for long vehicles and trucks to manoeuvrer turns to access the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway carriageway. “Widening the stretch, especially near the intersection, will help ease the flow of traffic and reduce accidents at night. The entire project is expected to be completed by April,” S.S. Nitin, Assistant Engineer (AE), State Highways (Walajah), told The Hindu.
Accompanied by S. Selvakumar, Divisional Engineer (DE), State Highways (Ranipet), and R. Krishnaswamy, Superintending Engineer (SE), State Highways (Tiruvannamalai), Nitin inspected the widening work near the intersection. “In addition to widening the intersection area, the stretch will also require a high-mast lamp near the underpass to ensure clear visibility of vehicles from all directions. The existing streetlights on the stretch are inadequate,” said K. Mohan, a motorist.
Funded under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme (CRIDP) 2024-25, the widening work will be carried out at a cost of ₹2.5 crore. The project will involve widening a 1.2-kilometer stretch to 21 meters, with a concrete median, stormwater drains, and footpaths.
Initially, the carriageway around the intersection will be widened to facilitate smooth traffic flow. According to estimates, more than 17,000 vehicles, primarily trucks and container lorries from South Bengaluru and Chittoor, use the stretch daily to access industrial corridors in Kancheepuram and Chennai. Reflectors and signage will be installed as part of the project. The widening of the remaining stretch will follow in subsequent phases.
The widened road will improve the transport of cargo by trucks and lorries, easing traffic on other arterial routes such as the Chittoor-Cuddalore Highway and the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway. This stretch is also a key bus route for commuters traveling between Tiruttani, Vellore, Sholinghur, and Walajah. Currently, TNSTC operates daily bus services between Tiruttani and Vellore on this route.
As part of the safety features, the widened stretch will include road studs, reflectors, signage, blinkers, and CCTV cameras. Currently, there are 1,133 kilometers of road under the jurisdiction of State Highways in the district.
