Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled and initiated various development projects worth over Rs 20,000 crore in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu on January 2, 2024. These projects span across multiple sectors including rail, road, oil and gas, and shipping, signifying a substantial investment for the state’s infrastructure development. The move is seen as a significant push to bolster economic growth in Tamil Nadu.
PM Modi inaugurated the new terminal building at the Tiruchirappalli International Airport. The new terminal building, developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,100 crore. The two-level new international terminal has the capacity to serve more than 44 lakh passengers annually and about 3,500 during peak hours.
Prime Minister Modi also laid the foundation stone for road development projects. These include the construction of a 31-km-long, four-lane road from Mugaiyur to Marakkanam of NH-332A. The road will serve as a crucial feeder route, and connect ports on the east coast of Tamil Nadu, enhance road connectivity to the world heritage site, Mamallapuram, and provide better connectivity to Kalpakkam Atomic Power Plant. He also dedicated to the nation five road projects, including a 39-km four-lane road for the Trichy-Kallagam section of NH-81; 4/2-lane road for thefour-lane road of Chettikulam-Natham section of NH-785; an 80 km long two-lane road on Karaikudi-Ramanathapuram section of NH-536; and a 44 km long four-lane section of NH-179A Salem-Tirupathur-Vaniyambadi Road. The road projects improve the connectivity of industrial and commercial centres like Trichy, Srirangam, among others.
Further, notable projects whose foundation stone was laid include the development of 323 km of natural gas pipeline from Krishnagiri to Coimbatore section of Kochi-Koottanad-Bangalore-Mangalore Gas Pipeline II (KKBMPL II) by Gas Authority of India (GAIL); and the laying of POL pipelines in the Common Corridor for the proposed grass root terminal at Vallur, Chennai. He also inaugurated the General Cargo Berth-II (Automobile Export/Import Terminal-II and Capital Dredging Phase-V) of Kamarajar Port.
The railway projects dedicated by the PM includes the doubling of the 41.4 km Salem-Magnesite Junction-Omalur-Mettur Dam section; the doubling of the rail line section of 160 km from Madurai-Tuticorin; and three projects for rail line electrification: Tiruchchirappalli-Manamadurai-Virudhunagar; Virudhunagar-Tenkasi Junction; Sengottai-Tenkasi Junction; TirunelveliTirunelveli- Tiruchendur
