Mon Mar 31 11:29:26 UTC 2025: ## Tiruppur MP Urges Highway Upgrade to Six-Lane Expressway
**Erode, March 31, 2025** – Tiruppur Member of Parliament K. Subbarayan has renewed his plea to the central government for the upgrade of a 102.5-km stretch of the Salem-Chengapalli National Highway (NH 544) from a four-lane highway to a six-lane expressway. The MP recently met with Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi to present a petition highlighting the urgent need for this expansion.
The petition cites a significant increase in daily traffic volume—approximately 30,000 vehicles—resulting in chronic congestion, increased fuel consumption, and higher carbon emissions. While a 54-km section between Chengapalli and Coimbatore has already been upgraded, the remaining stretch from Chengapalli to Salem remains a four-lane road, creating a significant bottleneck.
Mr. Subbarayan emphasized that the highway is a vital link connecting Salem, Namakkal, Erode, and Coimbatore with Palakkad, Thrissur, and Kochi in Kerala. He noted that land acquisition for the expansion is already complete and urged the Ministry to expedite the project and allocate necessary funds.
The MP’s petition also called for the construction of overbridges, flyovers, and service roads to further alleviate traffic congestion and improve infrastructure in his constituency. This is not the first time Mr. Subbarayan has raised this issue; he previously brought it to the Minister’s attention in October 2024. He reiterated his request for immediate action to address these concerns.
First Piper 