Lighting on NH 48 from Tambaram to Tindivanam set to improve

Lighting along the Tambaram-Tindivanam section of the Chennai-Tiruchi National Highway will improve soon, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun work to install new streetlight poles and high-mast lamps, and to repair faulty lights.

According to sources, as part of major electrical maintenance works, lights along the Athur-Tindivanam stretch in Villuppuram district were set right first, keeping in view the Karthikai festival at Thiruvannamalai. High-mast lights have been installed at Ongur, Kuchikulathur, Konerikuppam, Saram, and Melpettai in Villuppuram district.

The entire project, involving the installation of 404 new single-arm lamp posts along the sides of the road, 175 new double-arm posts on the median, seven high-mast lamps, and 45 new metre boxes, will cost ₹8.50 crore and is expected to be completed by March 2026.

Officials said the existing lighting arrangement along the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road was put in place about 20 years ago, when the road was widened to four lanes. Over the years, as more areas became urbanised, lighting coverage was increased in certain stretches. Minor works such as the replacement of bulbs and breakers, and repairs to cables and poles, were also carried out.

However, major maintenance works are being taken up now with a view to improving driving comfort and pedestrian safety. A total of 1,423 existing light poles and 47 high-mast poles are to be rectified. The contractor has been instructed to ensure a minimum brightness of 40 lux, in line with prescribed standards.

G. Ganesh, spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu State Lorry Owners Federation, who welcomed the work to improve lighting, said that several stretches from the Paranur toll plaza to Vandalur had been quite dark for some time. “Cable-laying work and the installation of metre boxes are being taken up in our area. Poor lighting could lead to accidents, and this stretch of the road is known for accidents,” he observed.