The Hindu : New Delhi News : Four-lane NHs in three years

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Wednesday, Aug 13, 2008
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Four-lane NHs in three years

Special Correspondent

The project, under public-private partnership, is ready for tendering

NHs 47 and 17 to be covered under the proposed project
Rs.60 crore for quality improvement of NHs in State

Mons Joseph held talks with Central officials on road projects on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Public Works Minister Mons Joseph has said the four-laning of National Highways 47 and 17 in the State will be completed in three years.

NH 47 connects Walayar (in Palakkad district) and Thiruvananthapuram with a distance of 417 km, and NH 17 runs between Manjeswaram (near Kasaragod) and Kodungalloor for a distance of 421 km. The project, to be taken up under public-private partnership, is ready for tendering. The State government will provide the necessary land and coordinate with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in carrying out the work.

Mr. Joseph was talking to mediapersons here on Tuesday after meeting Union Surface Transport Secretary Brahm Dutt, Director-General (Roads) G. Sharan and NHAI Chairman Gokul Ram wherein they discussed various NH projects in Kerala. State Public Works Secretary Tom Jose was present during the discussion.

The Minister said the exact project cost would be worked out after the land acquisition process was completed. The department would hold a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram soon with the participation of Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran, the NHAI Chairman and other officials to discuss land acquisition and other problems. The final touches for the draft project report would be given in two weeks.

He discussed two-laning with paved shoulders of four NHs in the State with officials here. The NHs to be taken up under this are 212 (Kozhikode to Sultan Bathery, 49 (Kochi to Devikulam), 220 (Kollam to Vandiperiyar) and 208 (Kollam to Thenmala).

The Union Cabinet has given preliminary approval for the project and the land acquisition is yet to begin. The “request for proposal” in the case of NH 212 and NH 49 is ready and that for NH 220 and NH 208 will be through in the next three or four days.

Mr. Josheph said the Centre had sanctioned Rs.60 crore under the Central Road Fund for 2008-09 for taking up upgradation and quality improvement works on various NHs in the State. The priority list would be ready in the next 15 days and the project would not involve any land acquisition.

The NHAI would construct flyovers at Edapally, Palarivattam, Vyttila and Kundanur in Kochi under a city development programme and the State government would provide necessary approach roads, he said.

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