Hopes of commencing the widening of the National Highway stretches passing through the State with a 45-metre right of way (RoW) have brightened with the detailed project report (DPR) and the bid document of two corridors reaching the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for approval.
The steps for issuing the 3A notification for the Thalassery-Mahe bypass, the four-laning of the Cherthala-Oachira Bypass-Kazhakuttam corridor and the preparation of the schedule and bid document for the NH corridor traversing Kannur are on, official sources said.
The DPR and bid documents for taking up the widening of the NH corridors in Kasaragod and Kozhikode are at the NHAI headquarters for approval. In Kozhikode, the design, drawing and cost estimate are ready except in the case of Koyilandy Bypass.
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The initiative comes in the wake of the resolve by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to go ahead with the much-delayed four-laning of the NH stretches to solve traffic and transportation problems. The government has also given the directive to stick to the 45-metre RoW and not to reduce it.
Of the 829 km of NH 66 identified for widening, 636 km from Thalapady to Edapally and Cherthala to Kazhakuttam has to be developed into four lane. According to the NHAI, the State has to acquire and hand over 1,329 hectares from Thalapady on the Kerala-Karnataka border to Edapally and from Cherthala to Kazhakuttam. The State is expecting relaxation in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways norms that 80% of land has to be acquired for commencing the works.
A total of 303.27 hectares need to be acquired for the 130-km Thalapady-Kannur stretch, 248.58 hectares for the 82-km Kannur-Vengalam stretch, 143.19 hectares for the Vengalam-Kuttipuram section, and 282.2 hectares for the Kuttipuram-Edapally stretch. As much as 114 hectares need to be acquired for the 86-km stretch from Cherthala to Oachira and 142 hectares for the 86.9-km Oachira-Kazhakuttam stretch.
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