Cabinet Clears 4-Lane Marakkanam-Puducherry Highway Project on HAM Model

### Quick Summary
– The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the construction of a 46-km Marakkanam to Puducherry stretch of the East Coast Road in Tamil Nadu on August 8, 2025.
– A 34.7 km bypass will be constructed for Puducherry as part of the project, which will be a Greenfield access-controlled route.
– The average daily traffic for FY25 is estimated at 17,800 Passenger Car units (PCU).
– This project is a segment of the Chennai-Puducherry-Nagapattinam-Tuticorin-Kanyakumari Economic Corridor.
– It will be developed using hybrid annuity mode (HAM) at a capital cost of ₹2,157 crore (civil costs: ₹1,118 crore; land acquisition: ₹442 crore).
– Current connectivity between key cities relies on the congested two-lane National Highway NH-332A and State Highways.
– The alignment connects two National Highways (NH-32, NH-332), two State Highways (SH-136, SH-203), railway stations in Puducherry and Chinnababusamudram, airports in Chennai and Puducherry, and Cuddalore’s minor port.—

### Indian opinion Analysis
The approval for constructing a new bypass within Tamil Nadu’s economic corridor highlights India’s push toward infrastructure development aimed at alleviating congestion and boosting regional connectivity. By integrating road connections with national highways and also railways and airports along an access-controlled route using hybrid annuity financing models like HAMs-a mix of government support with private sector investment-the project reflects efficient planning intended to ease logistical bottlenecks without overburdening public finances.

this highway upgrade could significantly enhance mobility for industrial hubs between Chennai and southern coastal cities while improving connectivity across rural areas impacted by overcrowded routes currently operating below capacity standards. However intensively sustainable monitoring implantation execution remains vital-quality-best benefactor economic completion finalized user benefits