Lighting along the Tambaram-Tindivanam section of the Chennai-Tiruchi National Highway will get a big upgrade. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started work to set up new streetlight poles and high-mast lamps, and to fix broken lights. First, lights on the Athur-Tindivanam stretch in Villuppuram district were repaired. This was done before the Karthikai festival at Thiruvannamalai to ensure better visibility. High-mast lights are being installed at locations including Ongur, Kuchikulathur, Konerikuppam, Saram, and Melpettai in Villuppuram district. The project will see 404 new single-arm lamp posts put up along the road sides and 175 new double-arm posts on the median. Seven new high-mast lamps and 45 new metre boxes will also be installed. The total cost of this project is ₹8.50 crore. Officials say it will finish by March 2026. The current lighting system on this Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road was set about 20 years ago when the road was widened to four lanes. Since then, some more lights were added as areas grew urban. Minor repairs like bulb replacements and cable fixes were done over time. Now, major repairs and upgrades are happening to improve driving comfort and pedestrian safety. A total of 1,423 existing light poles and 47 high-mast poles will be fixed or replaced. The contractor must ensure that light brightness is at least 40 lux, following official standards. G. Ganesh, spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu State Lorry Owners Federation, welcomed the upgrade. He said, “Several stretches from the Paranur toll plaza to Vandalur had been quite dark for some time.” He added, “Poor lighting could lead to accidents, and this stretch of the road is known for accidents.” Cable-laying and metre box installations are ongoing in his area. This lighting boost aims to make the highway safer and brighter for all road users.