NH 38
Vellore–Thoothukudi Highway
Also known as Southern half was the former NH 45B (Tiruchirappalli–Thoothukudi) and Middle stretch (Viluppuram–Tiruchirappalli) was part of the old NH 45
604 km
Open
Tamil Nadu
National Highway
Route
NH 38 runs 604 km from Vellore, Tamil Nadu to Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.
Crosses Tamil Nadu.
Through Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Viluppuram, Ulundurpettai, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Aruppukottai and Thoothukudi.
Why it matters
NH 38 is the inland spine of Tamil Nadu, joining the industrial north of the state to the deep south and to a major seaport. It carries containers to and from V. O. Chidambaranar Port, mill and farm goods from the Madurai belt, and very large numbers of pilgrims to Tiruvannamalai and to Madurai's Meenakshi temple.
History
NH 38 runs down the middle of Tamil Nadu from Vellore to the port city of Thoothukudi. On the way it links the temple towns of Tiruvannamalai and Madurai with the big junction city of Tiruchirappalli. The southern half, from Tiruchirappalli to Thoothukudi, was the well-known NH 45B before the highways were renumbered, and the middle stretch from Viluppuram to Tiruchirappalli was part of the equally famous NH 45. Because it was stitched together from several busy older routes, it is one of the longest national highways that stays inside a single state. At its southern end it runs right up to V. O. Chidambaranar Port, so container lorries share the road with pilgrim buses for much of the way.
Good to know
- Runs entirely inside Tamil Nadu, from Vellore to Thoothukudi.
- The Tiruchirappalli–Thoothukudi half was earlier numbered NH 45B.
- Links the great temple cities of Tiruvannamalai and Madurai.
- Ends near V. O. Chidambaranar Port at Thoothukudi, one of India's major seaports.
- At 604 km it is one of the longest national highways lying wholly within one state.
- It starts on NH 48, the Delhi–Chennai highway, at Vellore and finishes on NH 32, the coastal Chennai–Kanyakumari highway, at Thoothukudi.
- Tiruvannamalai, on the route, draws huge crowds each Karthigai Deepam festival, when a giant lamp is lit on top of Arunachala hill.
- At Madurai it meets NH 85, the highway that runs from Kochi across to Thondi on the Tamil Nadu coast.
Key junctions
- Vellore — north end — the highway starts on NH 48, the Delhi–Chennai highway, on its Bengaluru–Chennai stretch
- Tiruvannamalai — crosses NH 77 at the foot of Arunachala hill
- Ulundurpettai — crosses NH 79
- Tiruchirappalli — a major crossroads of the state, meeting NH 67 and NH 83
- Madurai — meets NH 85, the Kochi–Thondi highway; NH 44, the Srinagar–Kanyakumari highway, also runs through the city
- Thoothukudi — south end — meets the coastal NH 32 and runs to V. O. Chidambaranar Port
Engineering highlights
- Kollidam and Cauvery bridges at Tiruchirappalli — north of the city the highway crosses the Kollidam and then the Cauvery, the two river channels that enclose the temple island of Srirangam
On the road
Vellore to Thoothukudi is a long day's drive — roughly 11 to 12 hours with stops. Traffic is heaviest around Tiruchirappalli and Madurai, both of which are good places to break the journey. The last stretch, from Madurai down past Aruppukottai and Ettayapuram, runs through Tamil Nadu's windy south, where wind farms are a common sight. October to February is the pleasant season; April and May are very hot.