The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday approved the construction of a four-lane highway between Marakkanam and Puducherry in Tamil Nadu. The 46-kilometre stretch on National Highway 332A will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at an estimated capital cost of ₹2,157 crore.
The project forms part of the Chennai–Puducherry–Nagapattinam–Tuticorin–Kanyakumari Economic Corridor along the East Coast Road. It is aimed at decongesting the current two-lane NH-332A and associated state highways, which experience heavy traffic, especially in densely populated areas and key towns along the route.
The upgraded four-lane corridor will significantly improve connectivity between Chennai, Puducherry, Viluppuram, and Nagapattinam, catering to the mobility needs of these rapidly growing urban and semi-urban centres. The project is also expected to enhance road safety and reduce travel time for both passengers and freight.
The alignment integrates two major national highways (NH-32 and NH-332) and two state highways (SH-136 and SH-203), offering seamless connectivity to critical economic and social nodes across Tamil Nadu. The improved infrastructure will also support multi-modal integration by linking with key transport hubs including the Chennai and Puducherry airports, Puducherry and Chinnababusamudram railway stations, and the Cuddalore minor port.
The project also includes the construction of a 34.7 km greenfield, access-controlled Puducherry bypass. Upon completion, the corridor is expected to facilitate smoother movement of goods and passengers, strengthen regional economic activity, and improve access to major religious, industrial, and tourism centres, including Puducherry and nearby coastal towns.
The Marakkanam–Puducherry project is projected to generate substantial employment, with estimates of around 8 lakh person-days of direct jobs and 10 lakh person-days of indirect employment. The corridor will also connect to economic and social nodes such as a mega food park, a pharma cluster, a fishing cluster, Arulmigu Manakula Temple, and Paradise Beach, further contributing to the region’s growth.
The project’s civil construction cost is estimated at ₹1,118 crore, with land acquisition and associated costs accounting for ₹442 crore. The Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) for FY 2025 is estimated at around 17,800 Passenger Car Units (PCUs).
