Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said traffic congestion in the state has reached extreme levels.
At the inauguration of various road projects by Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, Pinarayi said road widening was the only option.
"The volume of traffic and rate of vehicle density stand at much higher levels compared to other states. So, we have reached a level where we cannot move further an inch without road widening," said Pinarayi.
Union Minister Gadkari inaugurated 15 National Highways projects amounting to Rs. 45,536 Cr on the day. He also promised India's longest 6-lane flyover for the state. The 13km flyover is proposed to come up between Aroor and Thuravur in the Alappuzha district.
Meanwhile, Pinarayi said his government was committed to completing the acquisition process but has hit a hurdle over high price of land.
"As far as land acquisition is concerned, there will not be any hindrance, the union government is also aware of it.
"But Kerala is bearing 25% of the cost of land acquisition, which is not the case in most of the other states," said Pinarayi.
The union minister who spoke highly of the Kerala government said he was ready to find a way out of the financially problem "with a joint sitting".
"I am happy that Kerala is changing and its government is giving me very good cooperation regarding environment and forest clearance and regarding land acquisition," said Gadkari.