The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the four-laning of a 46 km stretch of National Highway 332A from Marakkanam to Puducherry in Tamil Nadu, with a total investment of Rs 2,157 crore. This upgrade addresses severe congestion on the existing two-lane road, which serves as a critical link between Chennai, Puducherry, Viluppuram, and Nagapattinam, handling high traffic volumes through densely populated areas and key towns. The project aims to enhance safety, reduce travel times, and support the mobility demands of rapidly expanding urban centers in the region.

By integrating with major routes like NH-32, NH-332, and state highways SH-136 and SH-203, the revamped corridor will provide seamless connectivity to economic hubs, including industrial zones in Viluppuram and tourism spots in Puducherry. It will also improve multi-modal transport by linking two railway stations (Puducherry and Chinnababusamudram), airports in Chennai and Puducherry, and the minor port at Cuddalore, facilitating quicker goods and passenger movement. This is expected to spur trade, with projections indicating a 20 percent increase in freight efficiency along Tamil Nadu's eastern coast, building on the state's ongoing infrastructure push under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

The initiative aligns with India's broader highway development goals, where Tamil Nadu has seen over 1,500 km of national highways upgraded since 2020, contributing to a 15 percent drop in road accidents on modernized stretches. Upon completion, it will boost regional growth by strengthening ties between religious sites like the Auroville ashram and economic centers, while enhancing tourism to Puducherry's French colonial heritage and beaches, which attract over 1.5 million visitors annually. Additionally, the project is anticipated to generate around 8 lakh person-days of direct employment and 10 lakh indirect jobs, focusing on local skilled labor and supporting small businesses in surrounding villages.

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Environmental considerations include eco-friendly designs with green corridors to minimize impact on the nearby Kaliveli wetland, a key biodiversity hotspot. This approval comes amid Tamil Nadu's ambitious plans for 5,000 km of highway expansions by 2030, aimed at improving connectivity to ports and SEZs, ultimately driving industrial investments worth Rs 50,000 crore in the coming years.

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