The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken up maintenance works on the Nagapattinam – Thanjavur National Highway for a length of about 80 km.
The stretch has been heavily damaged during monsoon last year and has been posing a serious threat to road users. The potholes are so big that clouds of dust can be seen spreading over shops and houses at various residential areas near Keezh Velur, Sikkal, Kedarankondan, Tiruvarur and Needamangalam.
One of the merchants near Keezh Velur, L.R. Swaminathan, said that dust pollution caused a serious hazard to their health. “We keep the shops open for about 12 hours daily from 9 a.m. Although the bad condition of the road had been brought to the notice of the officials, no concrete measure had been taken up,” he said.
NHAI sources said that patch-up work was being done on the stretch from Nagapattinam to Thanjavur in a phased manner.
The existing old National Highway was being maintained for the sake of ensuring road safety, as potholes are more than half the breadth of the road at various places.
The current work aimed at temporary restoration of the national highway and to prevent further damage in the wake of the forthcoming North East monsoon.
