Giving fresh hopes of decongesting one of the major traffic bottlenecks in the State, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken steps to expedite four-laning of the 172.8 km of the National Highway (NH) 66 from Cherthala to Kazhakuttam in the capital.
The NHAI has started evaluation of the consultancy tenders to prepare a detailed project report (DPR), official sources told The Hindu . Two bids had been received and the consultant would be finalised in two months. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari’s on Friday said that funds would not be a constraint for NH development if the State handed over land for the purpose.
The four-laning mooted initially under the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) had dragged on for over two decades on account of the delay in acquiring land and opposition from the people.
As much as 114 hectares is to be acquired for Reach - I from Cherthala to Ochira and 142 hectares for Reach- II from Ochira to Kazhakuttam.
The alignment finalised for the proposed four-lane carriageway, which will have a right of way of 45 metres, cannot be altered, the sources said. The NHAI had already received CRZ clearance. The NHAI had been demanding handing over of the entire land for taking up the work and there had been no change in its stance, the sources said.
A DPR prepared by ICT Pvt Ltd in 2008 is before the NHAI. The alignment was fixed on the basis of the DPR and boundary stones had been laid. Although 3A(1) notification for land acquisition as per the NH Act, 1956, had been initiated twice, it got lapsed due to the ban imposed by the State and resistance from those who had to part with land. Hence, the 3(D) survey could not be completed within the stipulated time.
The selected consultant should prepare a fresh DPR following IRC codes and have a close look at the geometric deficiencies of the two-lane road and the structural stability of the existing bridges, the sources said.
The stretch comes under the 669-km NH-66 from Thalapady to Kaliyikkavila in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu.
