A key stretch near Katpadi on the Pallikonda-Gudiyatham road has been widened to avoid accidents

A total of 1.8 km of the 10-km stretch between Pallikonda and Gudiyatham towns has been taken up, officials say.

The State Highways on Thursday widened the Pallikonda-Gudiyatham High Road near Katpadi to prevent accidents.

Officials said the extension of the stretch was aimed at improving the safety of trucks traveling from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to southern districts like Salem and Madurai via Chittoor and Pernambut cities.

“Most vehicles from neighboring states use the stretch to drive to the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Widening the stretch will help prevent accidents,” Madhana Ibrahim, junior engineer, state highways (Katpadi), told The Hindu.

The stretch was widened to two lanes with paved shoulders at a cost of ₹5 crore, funded under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Program 2025–26.

Collector S. Leela Alex and Assistant Executive Engineer, State Highways (Katpadi), S. Ashok Kumar monitor the work.

The section was extended to 10 meters, which is enough for two buses to use it at the same time. “The widened stretch ensures safe travel, especially at night, as two-wheeler riders have enough space on the road. Additional safety features should be provided on the route,” said B. Sugan, a motorist.

Currently, vehicles including goods-laden trucks and trailers to the southern districts of the state pass through the congested stretch. According to records, more than 28,000 vehicles use this section daily.

Highway officials said that 1.8 km of the 10-km stretch between Pallikonda and Gudiyatham towns was utilized for the widening work as this part of the road had key public facilities like railway station, bus terminus and government schools and offices.

Earlier, about 3 km of the stretch was widened to facilitate access to the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway.

Published – 05 Jun 2026 0:32 IST