Cabinet approves four-lane highway section for easy access to Rameswaram

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the construction of a four-lane section from Paramakudi to Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, at a total cost of ₹1,853 crore, for improved access to Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi from Madurai.

The project will be developed in a hybrid annuity mode, in which the government provides 40% of the project cost as construction support during the construction period and the balance 60% as annuity payments over the period of operation, along with interest, to the concessionaire.

The stretch between Madurai and Paramakudi is already a four-lane highway. A detailed project report is being prepared for upgrading the section beyond Ramanathapuram till Dhanushkodi, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Rameswaram is an important Hindu pilgrimage site on an island. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said at a press conference that along with the Pamban rail bridge that connects the Rameswaram temple to mainland Tamil Nadu, the highway would provide improved connectivity to the religious and cultural destination.

The project will also connect key economic, social, and logistics nodes across southern Tamil Nadu and enhance multi-modal integration by connecting to the railway stations in Madurai and Rameshwaram, the international airport in Madurai, as well as two minor ports at Pamban and Rameswaram.

The four-laning will facilitate faster vehicular speed, from 48 kmph to 80 kmph, and cut travel time by 40%, from 60 minutes to 35 minutes, according to the presentation made by the Minister.