Minister for Handlooms and Textiles and Ranipet MLA R. Gandhi inaugurated the renewed section in the presence of Collector JU Chandrakal. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The restored Kamarajar Salai near the bus stand in Arcot town, off the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 48), was opened to the public on Friday.
Officials of the Arcot municipality, which will maintain the stretch, said the new stretch will be safer for motorists, especially senior citizens and women, as only light vehicles such as two-wheelers, auto rickshaws and cars can use the restored stretch to avoid accidents on the route. “The renovated Kamarajar Salai will provide more space on the road for two-wheelers and pedestrians. Commuters can also safely cross the stretch and board buses at the terminus,” said K. Padma, a commuter.
Minister for Handlooms and Textiles and Ranipet MLA R. Gandhi inaugurated the renewed section in the presence of Collector JU Chandrakal. Funded by the 2024-25 Capital Grants Fund (CGF), the new 195-metre stretch has a seven-metre-wide carriageway, a 1.2-metre-wide centre, footpath, LED street lighting and tall mast lamps. The entire work costs ₹9.65 crore.
It is estimated that more than 4,000 vehicles pass through the stretch, which connects the surrounding villages to the central parts of Arcot.
Municipal officials said a key feature of the section’s rehabilitation was raising its overall height by two feet to the existing level of stormwater drains to prevent roadway flooding.
Earlier, the stretch was flooded during monsoon as it remained several feet below the storm water drain. Civic officials had to pump water from the stretch using diesel engines.
With the opening of the new bypass near Arcot city, trucks and lorries are skipping the revived Kamarajar Salai and heading to neighboring districts like Tiruvannamalai, Kallakuruchi, Kancheepuram and Tirupattur. The management of the municipality therefore stated that the restored section will be used primarily by local motorists and pedestrians.
Published – 14 March 2026 05:30 IST
