Ranipet Gets New Bypass as Textiles Minister Opens Key Road Project.

The State Highways Department recently opened a new ₹35 crore four-lane bypass road between Tajpura and Veppur villages on the Arcot–Villupuram High Road (SH 04) near Arcot town in Ranipet district for public use.

Officials said the 3.46-km stretch will serve as an alternative route to access the Chennai–Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) at Veppur village on the Arcot–Vellore border, significantly reducing travel time. The new road is expected to ease congestion on the narrow Arcot Main Road, particularly by diverting trucks and lorries away from the town centre.

“The existing narrow Arcot Main Road will be less congested after opening of the new Bypass Road as trucks and lorries will use the new stretch, which ends the ordeal of motorists, especially two-wheelers,” said R. Sekar, a motorist.

The bypass was inaugurated by R. Gandhi, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles and MLA of Ranipet. District Collector J.U. Chandrakala and senior Highways officials, including Superintending Engineer R. Krishnaswamy (Tiruvannamalai) and Divisional Engineer S. Selvakumar (Ranipet), were present.

Funded under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme (CRIDP) 2024–25, the road features a 10-metre-wide carriageway, a 1.2-metre-wide median, footpaths, LED streetlights and high mast lamps. Safety measures include road studs, reflectors, signages, blinkers and CCTV cameras.

According to T. Murugan, Assistant Executive Engineer (Rural Roads), more than 9,000 vehicles — mainly trucks and lorries — pass through Arcot daily en route to industrial corridors such as Chennai and Bengaluru. A total of 9.36 hectares of land was acquired for the project.

Highways officials said the new bypass also connects key State Highway stretches, including the Krishnagiri–Ranipet High Road (SH 24) and the Arcot–Kannamangalam High Road (SH 29). Traders noted that the diversion of heavy vehicles is expected to decongest Arcot town, including the bus terminus, and ease persistent traffic snarls.

The new route will also provide quicker access to the Government Taluk Hospital in Walajah, the new campus of Christian Medical College, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) in Ranipet, and key towns such as Melvisharam and Vellore.