New underpass near CMC campus in Ranipet to be ready by December

A vehicular subway on the Chennai - Bengaluru Highway (NH 48), which is maintained by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) near new campus of Christian Medical College (CMC) at Puttuthakku village in Ranipet, would be ready by December for public use.

The NHAI, which is executing the work, said the Rs 22-crore-subway is being built at Puttuthakku village, which is one of the ‘black spots’ within Ranipet district limits on the highway.

These black spots are accident-prone spots, according to reports given by the police to the district administration. “Currently, sand filling on the elevated portion of the stretch is being done as part of underpass work. Levelling of the carriageway is also underway. The entire work will be completed by year end,” said a NHAI official.

The will help reduce the total number of the existing U-turn spots on the stretch to prevent accidents. The stretch has a few government schools, primary healthcare centres and car service centres.

The elevated portion of the highway where the work has started has the new spacious campus of CMC. Every day, on an average, the hospital, including from its main campus, in Vellore get nearly one lakh visitors. Presently people have to walk at least 500 metres to the nearest pedestrian crossing at Puttuthakku junction.

The stretch between CMC at Puttuthakku village and Vellore Collectorate, a distance of at least 15 km, does not have a U-turn for lorries, trucks and buses.

As per norms, each vehicular underpass, on an average, on the highway should be built at a distance of 1.5 kms to help safe crossing. Also, such facilities can come up at key intersections, crowded spots like food joints on the highway.

The underpass will be 4.5 metres high and 20 metres wide. Currently, the highway between Krishnagiri and Walajapet (Ranipet district), a distance of 148 km, has 17 such underpasses between Walajah and Krishnagiri, NHAI officials said.