THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The development of NH 66 bypass from Mukkola near Vizhinjam to Karode near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border — the first concrete national highway in the state — is finally nearing completion. According to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), 97% of the work has been completed and only a 1km stretch at two sections — Thengavila near Punnakulam and Thirupuram — remains to be completed. NHAI officials said the highway stretch is expected to be commissioned by the end of May.
Meanwhile, the road work at the Tamil Nadu side from Karode to Villukuri near Nagercoil came to a standstill owing to the unavailability of red earth and land acquisition issues. However, NHAI officials said the stretch from Kovalam to Karode will be opened for traffic once the highway till Karode is commissioned. The official said the Karode-Kanyakumari stretch would take two more years to complete.
NHAI project director P Pradeep said the work is progressing fast to ensure the commissioning of the stretch in the end of May, before monsoon starts. “The rectification of the damaged portion of an embankment at Thengavila is the main work being carried out now. For that, we need to get a no-objection certificate from Kottukal panchayat. Hopefully, we will get the clearance soon. The other work pending is at Thirupuram where soil filling is in progress and it will also be completed soon,” Pradeep told TNIE.
He said once the highway till Karode is commissioned, NHAI will open the Kovalam-Karode stretch for traffic, even though the work on the Tamil Nadu side won’t be completed by then. “From Karode, the vehicles can be diverted through the service roads to enter Chenkavila at Poovar-Kaliyikkavila road for travelling to Tamil Nadu. We are working on it to ensure smooth diversion of vehicles to the service roads,” he said. The 16.3-km road is being built as part of the second phase development of NH 66. The original deadline for the completion of the concrete road was May 31 last year. In fact, this deadline was changed several times due to the pandemic and unavailability of red earth.
Once the highway is opened, commuters coming from north Kerala can save time without entering Thiruvananthapuram city for going to Tamil Nadu via Kanyakumari. The stretch will also enable the smooth transportation of containers and trucks once the Vizhinjam International Seaport becomes operational as another road connecting the port and the NH bypass is being built.
Earlier, insufficient number of labourers due to the pandemic had hit the project work. L&T, which is executing the work, is also developing the remaining part of the bypass that extends to Kanyakumari. The road widening began in July 2017. The first phase of NH 66 from Kazhakootam to Mukkola was commissioned in 2019.