Road via Ambasamudram to augment mobility at VISL

Time of India

2 days ago

Thiruvananthapuram: A direct road between Thiruvananthapuram and Tirunelveli via Ambasamudram, mooted in 2005 and seriously considered by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), had hit a wall due to a lack of interest from govt and NHAI.
Now, with the emergence of Vizhinjam port and upcoming industrial parks in Tirunelveli, the region is gaining renewed attention. But the project remains a non-starter.
Road infrastructure expert Anil Kumar Pandala had submitted the project proposal to then Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar (now BJP state president) in 2022.
The proposal was first mooted in 2005 by various residents' associations in the state capital.
Kuttichal panchayat proposed the Kottur-Ambasamudram route, which was abandoned by Kerala and Tamil Nadu govts in the past. In 2013, a joint Kerala-TN team of MPs from all parties petitioned the Prime Minister for the project's approval. However, nothing happened.
However, Pandala, former managing director of Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd (TRDCL), never received a response from Chandrasekhar.
When he proposed this new highway to state govt along with Kollam-Shenkottai highway, govt opted for Kollam-Shenkottai as a feasible one.
"Freight and passenger vehicles cover over 135km through Nagercoil to reach Tirunelveli from Vizhinjam once the gateway cargo starts, a journey of about four hours. The proposed highway would cut this distance by nearly 38km and reduce travel time by at least 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The direct route would run through Ambasamudram and utilise a mix of widened existing roads and newly constructed greenfield stretches, offering an efficient east-west corridor through the Western Ghats.
Though several alignment options were explored in the proposal, including tunnel segments and hybrid models, the most feasible and cost-effective was identified as one that links Thirparappu to the Lower Kodayar power station and reaches Ambasamudram," Pandala said.
With Vizhinjam port expected to handle over 2,000 TEUs daily, an estimated 200-300 container trucks are likely to enter the highways everyday once EXIM cargo begins. This surge in freight traffic will place immense pressure on NH-66, which even after being widened to 45m, is expected to reach capacity within a few years. The proposed outer ring road for Thiruvananthapuram is also likely to fall short of future demand.
"A direct Vizhinjam–Tirunelveli connection would help distribute freight traffic more efficiently across southern Tamil Nadu and central India," Pandala added.
According to a senior NHAI official, there was a proposal at an NHAI meeting two years ago to make this stretch a national highway. However, the plan was dropped after Kollam-Shenkottai road proposal and outer ring road project came up, he said. "Still, there is demand for this new road. However, NHAI has not taken any decision. Since it will be a tunnel road and passing through reserve forests, environmental clearance is a must, and it may be difficult," said the official.
The proposal suggests that less dense sections be used and that a tunnel-plus-surface hybrid model could mitigate ecological concerns.