Gadkari-Satheesan meeting decides to expedite NH, other road projects in Keralam

Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the development of national highways (NH) and other road and transport infrastructure projects in Keralam.

Several key decisions were taken at the meeting, including measures to expedite ongoing NH projects and address delays.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, Mr. Gadkari assured that urgent steps would be taken to resolve bottlenecks and speed up construction of the NH-66 project.

The Union Minister also assured that the pending approvals for the NH-966 Kozhikode-Palakkad project would be granted within three months. Land acquisition for the project is already 80% complete.

Mr. Gadkari further assured in the meeting that the required Union Cabinet approval for the Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road project would be granted soon.

The meeting also decided to expedite measures to ensure the availability of river sand and quarry materials required for National Highway construction.

It was agreed to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Sabarimala ropeway, fast-track the necessary Central and State approvals, and take steps to complete the project within two years.

Mr. Satheesan also sought expediting major road projects in Keralam, including the Western Ernakulam bypass, Kothamangalam-Muvattupuzha bypasses and the connectivity project to Kozhikode International Airport along with other road projects.

The meeting also decided to advance road and transport infrastructure projects in Keralam in a time-bound manner through coordinated action by the Centre and the State, the statement said.