Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that the state’s years-long need of national highway development is finally going to get started. The development of the 39-km stretch of National highway-66 from Talapady (located at Karnataka border near Kerala’s Kasaragod district) to Chengala, into a six-lane road, will commence soon.
“Though this is a challenging time, the government is determined to move forward with the general development of the state. The national highway development works, which was the years’ long need of the state, is going to be started,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday. The Chief Minister was speaking during his daily press briefings held as part of updating about COVID-19 situation in the state.
As part of the project, which is the first phase of NH development in Kerala, NH-66 from Talapady to Chenagala in Kasaragod, will be developed into a six-lane road stretch with a width of 45 metres.
“As the first phase, consent has been granted for work on the Talapady-Chengala stretch. The work is being done as part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana (Centre’s scheme for road development). With the order being released again from the top-level transport department, bidding can be started and tender procedures can be completed,” said Chief Minister.
Pinarayi Vijayan expressed gratitude to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, for taking a favourable approach to the state government’s project for the development of NH.
The Chief Minister said that the project is planned to be completed in two and a half years. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 1,968.84 crore. About 35.66 hectares of land will have to be acquired for the project. The land acquisition is expected to cost about Rs 683.09 crore. Pinarayi Vijayan said that 25 per cent of the cost for the land acquisition will be taken by the state government.
The Chief Minister said that the state had asked for the development of 521.81 km stretch of the national highway from Talapaddy to Kazhakootam in Thiruvananthapuram. This will cover the whole length of the state.
“In this, to develop 266.22 km, eight projects are aimed to be started this year. The works of 18 km long Thalassery-Mahe bypass is progressing. The procedures for starting the work of 28.6 km of Kozhikode bypass, into six lanes, has started,” he said.
CM also stated that in the present circumstances, the work on the national highways will give employment opportunities to many people.
“National highway development will be an asset for the development of basic infrastructural facilities of the state,” added CM Pinarayi.
Read: