Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday expressed thanks to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for sanctioning the six-laning work of National Highway-66 from Kodungallur in Thrissur to Edappally in Ernakulam, which is expected to cost Rs 3,465.82 crore.
The six-laning work is part of a Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) under the Bharatmala Pariyojana initiative -- a state-sponsored and funded road and highways project of the central government.
"Thank you @nitin_gadkari Ji, Hon'ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Govt of India for sanctioning the 6-Laning work from Kodungallur to Edappally section of NH-66 (Old 17) with a budget of 3465.82 Cr on HAM under Bharatmala Pariyojana," the CM said in a tweet.
Earlier this week, Vijayan had said that the six-laning work of National Highway-66 is gathering pace in the state as the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) confirmed the agreement in 16 out of 20 stretches.
Around 600 kms of road, from Talapady in Kasaragod district to Karode in Thiruvananthapuram, would be six-laned as part of the project, he had said in a Facebook post.
"The National Highway Authority has confirmed the agreement in 16 out of 20 stretches to speed up the work of the six-laning of the Panavel- Kanyakumari National Highway-66 in Kerala," Vijayan had said.
He had also said that the state government would bear 25 per cent of the land acquisition expense and the landowners would be given the best compensation as per the Land Acquisition Act 2013.
The ongoing distribution of compensation would be completed within six months in the state, the CM said, adding that with the six laning of the National Highway-66, the road traffic in Kerala would become safer and more smooth.