Thiruvananthapuram: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has abandoned its plan to construct a greenfield highway between Thiruvananthapuram and Angamaly. As a result, all related procedures for the project have been halted.

Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed Parliament that the project, which had made considerable progress in Kerala, is no longer under the Centre's consideration. However, Anto Antony MP mentioned that Gadkari had told a group of UDF MPs that the project was not entirely shelved.

Originally part of the Bharatmala project for economic corridors, the greenfield highway's alignment was altered twice, and its execution was handed over to NHAI. Last year, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared, but Gadkari later announced that the project would be put on hold.

Initially, the highway was set to extend from Aruvikkara in Thiruvananthapuram to Angamaly in Ernakulam. The alignment was later shifted to start from Pulimath in Kilimanoor on the proposed Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road. The Centre withdrew from the project after a project director had been appointed.

The Thiruvananthapuram–Angamaly greenfield highway was expected to enhance transportation facilities in central Kerala and the state’s hill regions. Although a new high-speed corridor was proposed under the Centre’s Vision 2047 initiative as an alternative, no concrete measures have been implemented to date.

No approval for outer ring road
NHAI revealed that there has been no approval for the construction of an Outer Ring Road in Thiruvananthapuram, a project it had kept under wraps for two years. The proposed NH 866 road would have connected the Vizhinjam Port to NH 66 at Navaikulam.

NHAI had initially collected land documents from owners along the proposed alignment and promised compensation. However, the land acquisition process was halted after NHAI instructed that funds could only be allocated after receiving clearance for the project.

Land acquisition for the Outer Ring Road began in 2022 with equal investment from central and state governments. However, the Centre later restructured the project into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with contractors meeting the construction costs. These contractors were also promised 40 per cent of the cost as a grant and could recover their money by collecting tolls over the next 15 years.

The project plan has since been sent for approval to the Public-Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), which will determine toll rates and other specifics. Work will proceed only after receiving approval from PPPAC and clearance from the Union Cabinet.