Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates and Lays Foundation for 3 NH Projects Worth Over Rs 2,000 Crore in Puducherry.

In October 2025, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for three major National Highway (NH) projects worth over Rs 2,000 crore in the Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry, aimed at boosting regional connectivity and infrastructure.

      - The event was attended by N. Rangaswamy, Chief Minister (CM) of Puducherry; K. Kailashnathan, Lieutenant (Lt.) Governor of Puducherry; and L. Murugan, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs. Senior officials from MoRTH and state departments were also present during the inauguration.

      - Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 38 km-long 4-lane Puducherry–Poondiyankuppam section of NH-32, constructed at a total cost of Rs 1,588 crore.

      - He also laid the foundation stone for a 3.88 km-long elevated corridor between Indira Gandhi Square and Rajiv Gandhi Square on NH-32, with an estimated cost of Rs 436 crore. The corridor is designed to handle 60,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) daily, reducing travel time from 35 minutes to just 10 minutes.

Main Point :-   (i) The foundation stone was laid for improvement works on the 13.63 km stretch of the East Coast Road (ECR) under NH-332A, with an investment of Rs 25 crore. This upgrade will improve safety, drainage, and road quality along the coastal corridor.

      (ii) Union Minister Gadkari announced five new NH projects for Puducherry, including strengthening NH-32 in Karaikal and constructing a 6-lane elevated corridor on NH-48.

(iii) He also allocated Rs 100 crore under the Setu Bandhan Scheme for building small bridges to enhance local connectivity.
About Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry