Project to widen highway stretch

Thiruvananthapuram: A high-level meeting convened by Public Works Minister P.J. Joseph here on Tuesday approved a Rs.650-crore project to widen the stretch of National Highway 47 from Karamana to Kaliyikkavila into a four-lane road.

Rejecting the proposal for a greenfield highway, George Mercier, V.J. Thankappan, R. Selvaraj and N. Sakthan, MLAs, argued that it would entail a huge expenditure on land acquisition.

They said widening the highway was a more feasible option.

The meeting decided to widen the road to 30.2 metres. The 39-km road will have a 1.5-metres-wide median at the centre and footpaths and cable ducts on either side.

�The meeting decided to construct 46 segregated bus bays on either side. As many as seven junctions along the stretch will be scientifically designed to regulate traffic flow, Mr. Mercier said.

The meeting also resolved to grant administrative sanction for the project within a week and to fast-track the land-acquisition process. �The land acquisition will be over in 18 months and the project is to be completed in two years,� Mr. Mercier said