Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated the one km long road-over-bridge (ROB) across railway level crossing on NH-45-A at Arumparthapuram, Puducherry. The cost of the project is Rs 35 crore. The project will especially benefit Villianur, Ariyur, Kandamangalam, Manaveli, Gorimedu, Arovil and Ariyankuppam areas. The four-laning of NH-45 will provide unhindered connectivity of Puducherry with Karaikal port as well as ECR road which is leading up to Kanyakumari. An amount to the tune of Rs 70 crore has been spent on NH construction during the last six years in the Union Territory of Puducherry. At present works are underway on 287 km projects for an amount of about Rs 11,000 crore for Tamil Nadu-Puducherry connectivity. These include the Mahabalipuram to Mugaiyur section of NH-332 A, Mugaiyur to Marakkanam section of NH-332-A, Viluppuram to Puducherry section of NH-45-A, Puducherry to Poondiyankuppam section of NH-45A, Poondiyankuppam to Sattanathapuram section of NH-45-A, and Sattanathapuram to Nagapattinam section of NH-45-A.
Work on strengthening of eight km long road from Madagadipet state border to Ariyur Village at an expenditure of Rs nine crore is likely to be complete by December 2020. Moreover, DPR preparation is in progress for Marakkanam-Koonimedu section of NH-332-A & Pudhucherry Bypass, construction of grade separator at Rajiv Gandhi Square, and construction of grade separator at Indira Gandhi Square, at a tentative cost of Rs 1,354 crore.