THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After years of dilly dallying, the widening work of the national highway bypass from Kazakoottam to Mukkola near Vizhinjam will commence on Tuesday. The four-laning work is expected to be completed in two years.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Mr. Shashi Taroor said the land acquisition for the four-lane road from Mukkolla to Karode near Kaliyikkavila was also progressing. “I hope the Kazhakuttam-Karode four-lane road will become a reality by 2019,” said Tharoor, who described the work as one of the major infrastructure development projects in the state capital.
Minister for road transport and highway Nitin Gadkari will lay the foundation stone for the widening work of the 26.5 kilomtere Kazhakoottam-Mukkola stretch on Tuesday. Chief Minister Mr. Oommen Chandy will preside over the function to be held at Kazhakoottam. The total cost of the work is estimated at Rs 854 crore.
“Apart from ensuring a smooth ride from Kazhakoottam to Tamil Nadu, the widened bypass would also result in decongesting the Karamana -Kaliyikkavila stretch,” said Mr. Tharoor.
Mr. Tharoor said that the road work was being revived after four decades as a result of the strong pressure by the present UDF government and the support of the previous Congress-led UPA government at the centre.
“After I took up the matter in Parliament in 2014, the present Minister Mr. Gadkari assured me that he would carry out the work on the engineering, procurement and construction model. As a result, the work is now taking off,” Tharoor said adding that he was not concerned about others staking claim over the project, but was only concerned about its development.
KNR Constructions is carrying out the work. There will be service roads on either sides of the four-lane road. Any encroachments would not come in the way of the widening.
A maximum number of trees will be protected or replanted. Interchanges or similar facilities will be provided near Technopark and the international airport.
A decision on whether to impose toll will have to be taken by the government, said Mr. Tharoor. About 70 percent land acquisition for the second phase of 16.5 kilometres stretch from Mukkola to Karode was over. Once the remaining 30 percent land was also acquired, the road work could commence.
