Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Friday announced road and bridge projects across the state involving an outlay of Rs.2,325 crore.

 

 Speaking in the assembly, Jayalalithaa said her government is taking every effort to better the roads in the state. She said highways passing through the expanded area of Chennai Corporation would be expanded and footpaths would be laid.

 

 "The total cost for this will be Rs.1,033 crore. In the first phase, Rs.250 crore will be spent this year," she said.Jayalalithaa said multi-lane bridges and subways would be built here at an outlay of around Rs.235 crore with an assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

 

 The government will also make the two lane Madurai ring road to four lanes at an outlay of Rs.200 crore. A day after announcing setting up of an industrial estate in the backward Ramanathapuram district, Jayalalithaa said the 35 km state highway would be upgraded.

 

 She said road maintenance contracts would be signed to upgrade and maintain the state highways and other important roads in Ramanathapuram and Krishnagiri districts. Announcing plans to install escalators in Coimbatore and Karur, Jayalalithaa said Rs.400 crore would be spent this fiscal on upgrading the roads, traffic signals and others in various cities.

 

 The chief minister also said 100 river bridges with Rs.300 crore loan from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will be built.