Bypass four-laning: first phase to be over in a year.

The four-laning of the 26.7-km Kazhakuttam-Mukkola stretch of the NH 66 bypass from Kazhakuttam to Karode on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border is to be completed by September 2017.

The second reach, from Mukkola to Karode (16.3 km), which will have a cement concrete pavement, is to be completed in two years.

The assurance was given by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials to Shashi Tharoor, MP, who reviewed the works on Thursday.

The NHAI officials briefed Mr. Tharoor on the confusion over providing approach from the NH bypass corridor to the international airport. The delay in deciding on the connectivity is affecting the work on the 2-km stretch from Chakka.

Mr. Tharoor visited Kazhakuttam, Akkulam, Chakka, Eenchakkal and Thiruvallom. The officials told the MP that the NHAI team that inspected the old bridge at Thiruvallom had not found any structural weakness in it.

The officials agreed to the suggestion of Mr. Tharoor to construct a foot-overbridge near Kumarichantha-Poonthura Puthenpally locality for the safe movement of the pedestrians.

He later visited Mukkola, Kanjiramkulam, Kalluvettankuzhi, Nettathani, Mavilakadavu, Chenkavila and Karode that comes in the second reach. Hyderabad-based KNR Constructions Ltd (KNCL) is the EPC contractor for the first reach and L&T for second reach. The 43-km stretch is part of the 212-km NH 66 bypass project of the NHAI from Thuravur, the work on which started in 1974.

THE HINDU