DPR for Kochi’s port connectivity highway by January: Nitin Gadkari

The ongoing study to ready the detailed project report (DPR) for the port connectivity highway corridor (NH 966-B) that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has mulled to link Nettoor on the Vyttila-Aroor NH 66 bypass with CIFT Junction on Willingdon Island will be completed by January 2025, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways informed Hibi Eden, MP.

This was in reply to a submission made by Mr. Eden, seeking measures to speed up works on port connectivity highways and to improve connectivity between all ports and highways. Mr. Eden said the proposed NH 966-B would provide impetus to the Kochi port which was not performing as good as was expected.

In his reply, Mr. Gadkari said the Centre had accorded priority to the development of ports, since globally, this held the key to the economic development of all countries. A sum of ₹1.25 lakh crore would be earmarked for eight national highways to link ports. Three of the national highway corridors are in Kerala, including highway projects linking Alappuzha and Azheekal.

Mr. Eden further demanded the construction of a clover-leaf flyover at Netoor on the NH 66 bypass to ensure smooth flow of traffic from there to the Kochi port and to the proposed Kundannoor-Angamaly NH 544 bypass and the Kochi-Theni NH 85 corridor.

The proposed four-lane Kochi port connectivity highway having 45-metre width will bypass Kundannoor Junction, the narrow, ill-maintained Kundannoor-Thevara bridge, Alexander Parambithara bridge and the bottlenecked Mattancherry BOT bridge junction.

Published - December 13, 2024 06:47 pm IST