New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved the construction of a 4-lane Marakkanam - Puducherry (46 km) in Tamil Nadu.

The project will be developed on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 2,157 crore, said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Friday.

Currently, connectivity between Chennai, Puducherry, Viluppuram & Nagapattinam is dependent on the existing 2-lane National Highway 332A (NH-332A) and associated State Highways, which experience significant congestion due to high traffic volumes, especially in densely populated stretches and key towns along the corridor.

To address these challenges, the project will upgrade approximately 46 ...