Construction on the 121-kilometer Palakkad-Kozhikode Greenfield Highway is finally moving forward. After key meeting in New Delhi between P.K. Basheer, Kerala's Public Works Minister,and Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, the long-delayed project is picking up steam. Over 95% of the land needed for ₹8,000-crore highway is already acquired.
Gadkari raised red flags about an official study showing the highway might not hit expected traffic numbers. But Kerala officials dismissed those findings. They agreed to fast-track the project. This six-lane highway,part of the Bharatmala project,will have partial access control, though some details still need ironing out.
When finished,travel time between Palakkad and Kozhikode will drop from four hours to just two. Not only will it speed up commutes,it will also improve access to Calicut International Airport and key KINFRA industrial parks. Public Works engineers say the highway will tie in smoothly with existing roads across the three districts it crosses.
The new road will connect with National Highway 544 and National Highway 66,intersecting eight state highways and five major district roads. It will link 11 bus terminals and run near three big railway stations: Kozhikode,Thuvvur,and Palakkad. This should boost regional transport and economic activity.
So far, over ₹2,000 crore has been paid to landowners affected by the project. Before construction kicks off,National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has to list all buildings on the acquired land. Then,tenders will go out to demolish them. The revenue department plans a 3D notification soon to seize the rest of the land needed for highway rest areas.
But local skepticism lingers. Residents point to long delays in land acquisition and related processes as reasons for the project's slow pace. Large tracts of acquired land and abandoned houses have become overgrown,attracting wildlife and posing safety risks for locals.
