A proposal for laying a four-lane coastal highway passing through Malappuram and Kozhikode districts in north Kerala, which has been lying in cold storage for some time now, is getting a relook in the context of problems faced in the widening of the existing national highway.

The 72.37-km coastal highway is envisaged to start from Ponnani in Malappuram district and end in Vengalam in Kozhikode district. This will reduce the distance between Kochi and Kozhikode by around 40 km.

The project report was prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITE) and it is now being revived with new alignments. The project could not be taken up for implementation then due to the objection of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to laying a parallel highway to the national highway.

Project cost

The total cost of the project is put at Rs. 2,452 crore. This comprises Rs. 600.50 crore for land acquisition and rehabilitation of displaced people; Rs. 741.60 crore for road and allied works; and Rs. 1,082 crore for bridges and flyovers, according to government officials.

The project is proposed to be implemented under build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. Apart from facilitating smooth vehicular traffic, the highway is expected to be a catalyst for economic growth in the region and provide better infrastructure and communication facilities.

Tourism potential

There will be locations along the way with high potential for development of tourism and other industries. They include Ayurveda treatment centres, high-end tourist hospitals, theme parks and residential apartments. Besides, commercial utilisation of areas close to harbours is also possible for activities like fish processing, cold storage, fish markets and boat building and repairing, it is pointed out.

The project will have to obtain environmental clearance as per the Coastal Regulation Zone Act before being taken up for execution.

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