NHAI opens relaid service lane on Chennai-Bengaluru Highway

The Story in Brief

The National Highways Authority of India has opened a relaid service lane on NH-48 near Christian Medical College at Puttuthakku village, Vellore, after replacing the bitumen surface with cement concrete to prevent flooding. In December 2025, monsoon rains washed away the top bitumen layer, leaving huge potholes that stopped traffic and forced diversions. The 300-metre-long, 20-ft-wide lane was repaired using two feet of bluemetal and one foot of concrete, then cured for over a month.

NHAI officials said the concrete carriageway will let excess rainwater from abandoned quarries drain into canals and the Palar river without disrupting traffic. Motorists welcomed the move, with R. Gowri Sankar calling it a safety measure and urging better street lights. The lane serves buses, autorickshaws, cars, two-wheelers, tractors, and up to 10 ambulances daily on the way to hospitals and paddy procurement centres.