The state highway department will complete the expansion of the BHEL feeder at Ranipet by December

An expert team, led by Principal Secretary, Highways Department, Chong Nam Zatak Siru, inspecting the ongoing widening of the BHEL feeder in Ranipet district in the presence of S. Palanivel, Chief Engineer (Construction & Maintenance), State Highways, and MA Rajadurai, Chief Engineer (SE), State Highways (Vellore Circle).

The Ministry of Roads and Highways has accelerated work to widen the BHEL feeder in Ranipet town to a four-lane section and aims to complete the project by December.

The project is expected to bring relief to motorists, especially truck drivers, heading to industrial units in the district.

Officials of the State Highways Authority, which is carrying out the work, said the widening of the key stretch was aimed at helping southbound trucks coming from neighboring Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh via Chittoor and Tiruvalam to reach places like Kancheepuram, Sholinghur and Sriperumbudur.

“Most vehicles from neighboring states use the stretch to reach industrial units in the district. Widening the stretch would help prevent accidents, especially those involving pedestrians and two-wheelers,” S. Ajith, Assistant Engineer (AE), State Highways (Ranipet), told The Hindu.

Funded under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Program (CRIDP) 2025-26, the project involves widening the existing narrow stretch into a four-lane road with paved shoulders at a cost of ₹26 crore. The work is being watched by collector N. Priya Ravichandran.

“The extended stretch would ensure safe travel, especially at night. Additional safety features should be provided on the route,” said K. Mugilan, a motorist.

Currently, vehicles, including trucks and trailers, use the congested stretch to travel to the southern districts of the state. According to records, more than 28,000 vehicles use this section daily. Highway officials said the entire four-kilometer stretch is being widened as it connects public services such as government offices, schools, hospitals, banks and a bus terminus.

More importantly, the widened section would be a shorter route of at least 10 km for motorists from the old city of Vellore, Katpadi and Arcot to reach Sholinghur, Arakkonam and Tiruvallur compared to using the Chennai–Bengaluru National Highway (NH 48).

The multi-million dollar project also includes street lighting, sidewalks, reflectors, signboards and pedestrian crossings. The extended section has 12 new culverts and two smaller bridges as it passes through more than four farming villages. Each culvert would be two meters wide and two meters deep.

As the stretch is a pilgrimage route, especially to Tirupati, Puducherry, Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram and Melmaruvathur, additional bus bays would be created to allow stopping of city and mofussil buses for local commuters and long distance passengers. Native saplings would be planted to provide more green cover along the route.

Published – 20 October 2026 20:49 IST