Aimed at providing a smoother ride to motorists taking East Coast Road (ECR), between Akkarai and Mamallapuram, the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) will soon take up surface renewal on three stretches.
A total of 3 km will be relaid from Akkarai to Uthandi, 5.3 km from Kanathur to Kovalam and 4.7 km from Kovalam to Mamallapuram. “Though it is only 30 km long, if you take both sides that is the left hand side and right hand side, it comes to 60 km. Of this, we are taking up 13 km for renewal in this phase,” explained an official source.
The work has been awarded, and the contractor is expected to commence the work shortly. It will be completed in a month from that time. “These sections require renewal as they have withstood traffic for over five years. If they are not relaid, they will get damaged and develop cracks or potholes. We want to prevent that and want the road to continue to provide a smooth riding surface to motorists. The road surfaces are usually renewed once in five years. We will ensure that the road is cold-milled, where the surface is scrapped off before re-laying,” the source said.
The ECR is popular among people travelling to Mamallapuram and Puducherry. “The quality of the road should not be compromised in any way. It should be maintained as it is. After the work to relay the top is completed, road markings, reflective stickers, cats eye buttons and signages should be re-installed carefully,” said K. Parthasarathy, a biking enthusiast.
