The 181-km Kannur-Mysuru inter-State Highway via Mattannur, Makkutta and Virajpet that links Kodagu in Karnataka is to be made a National Highway (NH).
“We are in principle recognising the Kannur-Mysuru inter-State Highway as NH and the formalities in this regard will be completed soon by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways,” Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari told Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who called on him in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss NH development in the State.
The upgrade of the inter-State highway into NH will result in free movement of those going to Mysuru and Bengaluru by road from Kannur and improve road connectivity to the Kannur international greenfield airport, the fourth international airport of the State, coming up at Mattannur.
Mr. Gadkari informed the Chief Minister that the nod of the Economic Affairs Committee is expected soon for the development of the road from Thalapady in Karnataka to Chengala in Kasaragod and from Chengala to Kalikadavu in Kozhikode.
The road development is expected to cost ₹1,000 crore.
The tender formalities are to be completed in September this year and the work will begin in April 2018.
Tenders will be floated next month for the four-laning of the 28-km Kozhikode bypass.
The Chief Minister was informed that the plan for the development of the 64 km from Kalikadavu to Muzhaplilangad was approved the other day.
₹180 crore sanctioned
The State has been sanctioned ₹180 crore by MoRTH of the ₹400 crore demanded from the Centre for the repair of roads in Kerala battered in the monsoon, the Chief Minister said.
