Kerala highway projects, including National Highway 66, the NH 966 Kozhikode-Palakkad corridor and the proposed Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road, are set for renewed efforts to remove delays after a meeting between Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari.
Gadkari assured the state that urgent measures would be taken to accelerate construction work on NH 66, while decisions were also taken to address bottlenecks affecting several ongoing and proposed road and transport projects, Satheesan said after the meeting.
The Union minister said further approval for the NH 966 Kozhikode-Palakkad project would be granted within three months. Land acquisition for the corridor is reportedly complete for 80% of the project. The proposed road is among the projects for which the state is seeking faster movement from the Centre.
Gadkari also said the required Union Cabinet approval for the Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road project would be secured soon. The project is intended to improve connectivity around the state capital, although the supplied details do not specify its proposed length, alignment, cost or construction schedule.
The meeting also focused on the availability of construction materials. The Centre and the state agreed to expedite procedures related to river sand and quarry materials needed for highway construction. The availability and movement of these materials can directly affect construction activity, but no project-specific quantities or revised completion dates were provided in the announcement.
A ropeway project at Sabarimala was also discussed. The meeting agreed to prepare its detailed project report and expedite the approvals required from the Centre and the state. The stated aim is to complete the project within two years, although the source report does not provide details on the proposed route, carrying capacity, funding structure or implementing agency.
Other projects discussed included the Kothamangalam-Muvattupuzha road, the Western Ernakulam bypasses and improved connectivity to Kozhikode international airport. These projects bring together national highway development, bypass construction and access to an airport, placing coordination between central and state authorities at the centre of implementation.
The commitments mark an effort to move Kerala’s road and transport programme through closer Centre-state coordination. The next stated milestones are the proposed approval for NH 966 within three months, Union Cabinet approval for the Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road, preparation of the Sabarimala ropeway detailed project report and steps to accelerate NH 66 construction.
