Kerala: Six-lane national highway to change the landscape

Kochi: Presenting the status report on the progress of national highway development projects in Kerala, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said six-laning of NH 66 will change the landscape of Kerala and reduce travel time. Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram 17 hrs to 7 hrs.

“This will be a big boost for the tourism and industrial development of Kerala and we are working very fast to complete the project within the time frame. The project is targeted to be completed by December 2025,” he said on Friday while dedicating five completed projects and laying the foundation stone of seven projects worth Rs 1,464 crore.

The minister apologized for not being present at the function as he could not reach Kerala due to flight delay due to technical problem. “Kerala attracts tourists from all over the world. To attract tourists we need good road infrastructure. Therefore, we are planning to implement road development projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the state by the end of 2024. We have 38 upcoming projects worth Rs 80,000 crore to develop 1,397 km long road. 27 projects worth Rs 60,000 crore covering a distance of 849 km are in various stages of implementation. We have already completed 53 projects covering a distance of 818 km by spending Rs 7,374 crore.”

Sharing memories of his visit to Munnar seven years ago, the minister said he wanted to visit the hill station and enjoy the scenic beauty of the newly built Munnar-Bodimettu Road. Union Minister V Muraleedharan, Public Works Minister Mohammed Riyas and MPs Dean Kuriakose and Rajmohan Unnithan attended the meeting.