15-07-2025
National highways proposed in Kerala now in limbo
Thiruvananthapuram: Two of Kerala's most significant road development plans, including the proposed Kozhikode-Mysore greenfield corridor and the declaration of 12 key road stretches as national highways (NHs), have hit a wall with Centre either stalling or quietly stepping back from earlier commitments.
In a fresh representation to Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), state urged urgent revival of both. Govt asked MPs from the state to take up the matter in Parliament.
The Kozhikode-Mysore economic corridor, envisioned as a seamless 24-hour greenfield highway bypassing ecologically sensitive areas, was initially backed by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which engaged with forest department to finalise an alignment that would skirt major wildlife sanctuaries.
However, the state flagged that NHAI was no longer pursuing the project actively—a development it described as "a matter of serious concern.
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The proposed corridor was designed to offer uninterrupted interstate connectivity between Bengaluru and north Kerala, particularly vital in light of the night traffic ban on NH-766 and other roads passing through Bandipur and Wayanad forests. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan personally raised the issue with Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari during a meeting on Dec 6, 2024 but no follow-up commitments materialised.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Equally troubling is Centre's failure to act on its earlier in-principle approval to declare 12 important road stretches in Kerala, totalling 484.6km, as NHs. While the directive to foreclose the preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) came in July 2020, state is now pushing for these road stretches to be revived under the NH network, given that formal notification never followed despite the initial green light.
The state's latest appeal underscores that these roads are strategically critical and their upgradation is even more urgent, considering Kerala's overburdened road infrastructure. State currently has just about 580km of NHs under PWD's purview. With one of the highest vehicle and population densities in the country, capacity expansion through centrally funded corridors is being projected as a non-negotiable priority.
As these proposals under
Bharatmala Pariyojana
are being discontinued, state has submitted a fresh set of 17 road stretches covering 1,054km for inclusion in Vision 2047 Master Plan, which MoRTH is currently finalising. These corridors have been identified after a new assessment and reflect the evolving transport and logistics needs of the region, Kerala argues.
Adding to its case, govt highlighted that no new major project has been sanctioned for Kerala through PWD's NH wing in the last four years.
It urged Centre to include 14 proposed projects amounting to Rs 6,700 crore in MoRTH's current year annual plan, warning that worsening congestion and infrastructure fatigue would continue unless the pipeline was urgently revived.
As Centre maintains silence despite multiple submissions, state has now shifted gears politically, urging its MPs to escalate the issue in Parliament in a coordinated push. While the projects themselves may have seen bureaucratic limbo for years, state's current campaign signals that the fight for them is anything but over.
