THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The widening of National Highway (NH) 66 stretch from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram to 45 metres, will be completed by 2025, PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyaz informed the Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to a question by MV Govindan, Riyaz said it was the resolve of the LDF government that revived the project that was abandoned in 2013. Kerala was the first state to share the cost for a National Highway widening project and the land acquisition could be completed in a time-bound manner, he said.
The Minister decried propaganda from certain sections that the state has not spent any money for NH66 widening.
"The state has spent 25% of the project cost which amounts to Rs 5580.73 crore and this has been stated by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways (Morth) Nitin Gadkari in parliament," Riyaz said.
On a question by Neyyatinkara MLA K Ansalan on the progress on the outer ring road project in Thiruvananthapuram, Riyaz said the land acquisition for construction of the road, as per national highway standards, is in the final stages. He added that the 45-metre stretch from Navayikulam to Vizhanjam is being constructed with a service road having a width of 25 metre.
The outer ring road has been included in the Chief Minister's priority projects and assessment of its progress is being made at regular intervals. Despite the Centre reducing the funding for various development projects in the state, the ring road project will be executed in a time bound manner, he assured.