NHAI hastens highway widening project in Kerala

The construction work to develop the Edappally-Kozhikode NH 66 corridor as six-lane access-controlled stretch has been fast-tracked by the National Highways Authority of India in Ernakulam. The six-lane corridor will have two-lane service roads on either side, each having seven metre-tarred carriageway and will lessen commuting time from Kochi to Kozhikode from over five hours to less than three hours. Contractors have been finalized to execute the widening work in different reaches of the national highway. The Edappally-Kozhikode stretch is expected to be widened as a six-lane highway in about three years, with the NHAI fixing a 30-month deadline once the widening work begins. In addition, five to six months would be necessary to complete demolition of buildings on the acquired land, cutting of trees and shifting underground and overhead utilities. This process has begun in Malappuram.