Work to widen road atop Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai begins

Work to widen the tribal road that navigates through reserve forests (RFs) between Jamunamarathur and Chengam atop Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai commenced on Tuesday.

Officials of the State Highways said that the existing single lane stretch in the forests was once a pathway that was used mostly by tribals in the hills. Many years ago, the pathway was bitumen-topped, mainly for forest officials to patrol the hills to prevent poaching and other illegal activities.

Since then, the stretch was not re-laid. “The widening of the narrow stretch in the forests will help tribals travel safely to areas in the plains. They can also transport farm produce to local markets. The entire work will be completed in 2026,” K. Manohar, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), State Highways (Chengam), told The Hindu.

Accompanied by Collector K. Tharpagaraj, B. Krishnasamy, and P. Gnanavel, Superintending Engineer (SE) and Divisional Engineer (DE) of State Highways respectively, the Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu laid the foundation stone for the widening work. “The new two-lane stretch will help vehicles including ambulances and mini-buses to reach tribal hamlets in the hills. There will be a permanent road connectivity to reach big towns in the plains,” said V. Mayandi, a resident. 

As per plan, the stretch will be widened from its existing 3.75 metres to 5.5 metres between Keel Paramanandal village near Chengam town and Athipattu, a distance of 38.50 kms, in the hills. Funded under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme (CRIDP 2025-26), the work will be done at a cost of ₹ 12 crore. The widened stretch will have paved shoulders to provide durability to the carriageway and prevent any accidental fall of vehicles into the valley.

Also, the stretch will have signages, reflectors, and road markings to ensure safety of motorists. Blinkers and LED streetlights will be avoided in the stretch to allow free movement of wild animals in the hills during night. Once widened, the stretch will get regular bus services on the route.

As the narrow stretch is surrounded by forests, the stretch also navigates a series of culverts and causeways in the hills. The State Highways will construct at least 158 culverts and one minor bridge to discharge excess rainwater from the hills without affecting traffic movement and damaging the carriageway on the route. Drains will also be built to a distance of 7,300 metres along the widened stretch to prevent waterlogging.

As part of safety measures for motorists, a retaining wall will be built at eight identified hairpin bends in the hills, covering a distance of 1,130 metres. On an average, the retaining wall will be 15 ft in height.