Thiruvananthapuram-Angamaly Greenfield Highway Project Postponed: Centre (image:x.com/nitin_gadkari)

New Delhi: The Centre government informed Lok Sabha that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has no plans to go ahead with the proposed Thiruvananthapuram-Angamaly greenfield highway project at the moment. It was while replying to questions posed by Lok Sabha members K. Francis George and Dean Kuriakose concerning the current status of the proposed greenfield highways Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari made the response.

“Up-gradation/development of National Highways(NHs)/Expressways is taken based on the fulfillment of the criteria, requirement of connectivity, inter-se priority, availability of funds and synergy with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan,” Minister said.

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“At present, there is no proposal for development of the greenfield alignments between Angamaly to Thiruvananthapuram and between Kochi – Munnar – Dhanushkodi,” Minister added.

It was on January this year, Nitin Gadkari announced many major greenfield highway projects for the State which includes the development of the 205km greenfield Thiruvananthapuram-Angamaly highway. Initially, it was part of Bharatmala Pariyojana, a central government sponsored and funded road and highways project in India and then it was planning to be included in Vision 2047 of the Union ministry of roads, transport and highways.

Also, the plan at first was to proceed as a six-lane road which then advanced as a four-lane highway with a modern GPS-controlled toll system. The highway intends to improve connectivity between Thiruvananthapuram and Angamaly via Kottarakkara and parts of Kottayam district.  The highway will pass through six districts and was planning to start at Pulimath near Kilimanoor in Chirayinkeezhu taluk and end at Angamaly in Ernakulam district.

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The NHAI was preparing for a detailed project report (DPR) for the greenfield project, which now stands cancelled with the Central decision to drop the project.