Highways Department functions under the overall coordination of the Director General. There are eight wings for execution of projects as follows

Construction & Maintenance wing

State fund works

National Highways wing

Central fund works

NABARD & Rural Roads wing

NABARD loan assistance works

Projects wing

Railways Works Programme (fund sharing)

Metro wing

Chennai Metro Development Programme works

Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project

World Bank loan assistance works

Planning, Designs & Investigation Wing

Quality Assurance & Research Wing

In addition, two companies are executing Special Projects.

1. Tamil Nadu Road Development Company
2. Tamil Nadu Road Infrastructure Development Corporation

Vision

The vision of the Highways Department is to increase the capacity, connectivity, efficiency and safety of the Highways System so as to enable balanced socio-economic development of all sections of the people and all regions of the state.

HISTORY

Government of Tamil Nadu has the unique distinction of creating a separate Highways Department as early as in 1946 exclusively to attend to Roads and Bridges in the State. A new post of Secretary to Government, Highways Department came into being in 1996. It was a part of Public Works Department earlier but is now a separate and distinct department.

OBJECTIVE

The vision of the Highways Department is to increase the capacity, connectivity, efficiency and safety of the Highways System so as to enable balanced socio-economic development of all sections of the people and all regions of the state.

e-pathai

Department of Highways in the Government of Tamil Nadu formulated and approved Information and Communication Technology Strategy (ICTS) in 2008, setting with the following challenges

1. To achieve to vision of Highways Develop hardware and network infrastructure.
2. Manage & deploy GIS based Road Information System across the state network.
3. Deploy Financial and Accounts, HR, Project management, Document Management applications.

For effectively managing the maintenance of road network and related infrastructure in TamilNadu, the Hon’ble Chief Minister had inaugurated e-Pathai (electronic Project, administration, traffic, highway assets & information Management System) system comprising of following software developed under ICTS.

1. ROAD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
2. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM
3. PROJECT, HUMAN RESOURCE AND FINANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

1. Road Maintenance Management System (RMS)

   The aims of Road Management are to enable the network to withstand the damage caused by wear and tear, to prevent the sub- standard conditions from developing, and to ensure that traffic can continue to travel, in a manner which is safe, efficient, and reliable and causes the minimum damage to the environment. Since, a number of variables influence the road deterioration, managing the asset by manual method is a complex task. Therefore use of computerised system to undertake the maintenance activities more efficiently is necessitated.

2. Geographical Information System (GIS)

   Geographical Information System(GIS) developed under ICTS comprises of two components viz., Road Information System and Bridge Information System. A GIS integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends.

3. Integrated Project, Human Resource & Finance Management System (P & FMS)

   To automate the existing manual procedures in Highways Department, it was decided to develop and implement the software, Project & Finance Management System.

   The modules defined in the software are Project Management system, Finance Management System and Employee Record system.

   All the data related to important projects are digitized and made available in the system in electronic format. Also establishment related particulars will be stored in the data base. This will ensure efficient and transparent functioning of the department. This system has been developed for the Departments internal use to improve the overall functioning.

functions

The functions of all the wings are detailed as follows:

1. OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL

   The post of Director General has been created for smooth and efficient functioning of the department and to coordinate the work of all the eight wings. The Director General is also the head of all the Technical Committees.

   FUNCTIONS

   • Overall Planning and Budgeting of Highways Department
   • Establishment and Personnel Administration matters in Highways Department
   • Monitoring Quality of works executed by the Highways Department
   • Monitoring and Managing IT Cell and their Activities relating to epathai systems like Road Maintenance Management System (RMS)
   • Road Accident Data Management System (RADMS), Geographical Information System (GIS),
   • Establishment of Project & Financial Management system (P&FMS) and Collection of Data Utilising Advanced Data Collection Equipment
   • Any other work entrusted by the Government

2. CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE WING

   • Maintenance of State Highways, Major District Roads, Other District Roads and bridges.
   • Execution of Part – II scheme works.
   • Restoration of roads and bridges affected by natural calamities like monsoons, floods and Tsunami.
   • Execution of road and bridge works under Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme.
   • Formation of bypasses.
   • Implementation of road infrastructure schemes under Public Private Partnership.
   • Maintenance of ODR – Sugarcane Roads.
   • Construction of ROBs / RUBs.

3. NABARD & RURAL ROADS WING

   • Execution of bridges and roads with loan assistance from NABARD.
   • Construction of Road Over Bridges / Road under Bridges under Railway Works Programme.

4. PROJECTS WING

   • Road Over and Under Bridges at Railway level crossings under Railway Works Programme.
   • Major Bridge works with State funds and NABARD assistance.
   • Formation of Ring Roads and Radial Roads.
   • Formation of Sugarcane Roads with Sugar Cess Fund

5. METRO WING

   • Execution of Chennai Metropolitan Development Plan (CMDP) works.
   • Road works, major bridge works and bridge works in road junctions under TNUDP-III.
   • Construction of ROBs / RUBs in Metro areas.

6. NATIONAL HIGHWAYS WING

   • National Highways Development comprises plan works and maintenance of roads and bridges on National Highways with the funds of the Government of India.
   • Revamped Central Road Fund scheme works.
   • Inter State Connectivity Scheme works.
   • Economic Importance scheme works.
   • Western Ghats Development Programme works
   • Hill Area Development Programme works

7. TAMIL NADU ROAD SECTOR PROJECT WING

   • Road upgradation works with the World Bank assistance.
   • Enhanced road maintenance works.
   • Undertaking studies for projects to be implemented through Public Private Partnership.
   • Strengthening the organisational set-up of Highways Department.

8. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND RESEARCH WING

   • Research activities relating to roads and bridges.
   • 3 tier quality assurance for all works implemented by this department.
   • Road safety and traffic improvement works.

9. PLANNING, DESIGN AND INVESTIGATION WING

   • Carrying out investigation for new road and bridge works.
   • Preparation of structural designs, drawings and estimates for bridge works costing Rs.2 Crore and above.

10. TAMIL NADU ROAD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (TNRDC)

    • Implementing major PPP projects
    • Management of Chennai Outer Ring Road works.
    • Undertaking Rajiv Gandhi IT Expressway works and maintaining as toll road
    • Improving and maintaining the East Coast Road (Chennai to Puduchery) as toll road

11. TAMIL NADU ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

    • Development of road and bridge infrastructure required in industrial areas