CHENNAI: The 6.6km ‘killer’ Thoppur stretch of the national highway between Dharmapuri and Salem, which has seen 1,030 fatal accidents in the past 13 years, is set for a 775-crore makeover. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will construct an elevated corridor to bypass the notorious Thoppur junction and level out uneven road surfaces. Work will begin on March 11.
Since its expansion to a four-lane highway in 1996, the NH 44 stretch between Dharmapuri and Salem had become increasingly hazardous with traffic volumes rising. NHAI inspection teams that travelled in cars or SUVs couldn’t spot what was causing the accidents.
That’s when Dharmapuri’s regional transport officer D Dhamodharan stepped in. In 2022, he drove NHAI officials in a heavily loaded 16-axle truck through the stretch and that’s when they spotted how the gradient and the road surface was distorting vehicle balance and braking. This demonstration, along with CCTV footage of accidents, helped identify the technical faults.
Dharmapuri MP S Senthil Kumar said NHAI considered various solutions, including a tunnel and a flyover. Finally, NHAI committed to a three-lane elevated corridor to take Salem-bound traffic. This corridor will circumvent Thoppur junction.
The existing four-lane road will serve traffic towards Dharmapuri. However, a section with dangerous curves, known locally as the “killer stretch”, will be levelled. It will later be integrated into the Namakkal-Dharmapuri six-lane project, according to NHAI officials. The entire project is to be completed in four years.
S Pannerselvam, a truck owner from Namakkal, said NHAI should implement safer detours temporarily to check accidents.
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