Foundation stone laid in 1980s, scenic 6.8 km Alappuzha bypass in Kerala inaugurated
Union Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday jointly opened to the public a 6.8 km two-lane Alappuzha bypass on NH66.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday jointly opened to the public a 6.8 km two-lane Alappuzha bypass on NH66 from Kommady to Kalarcode in a virtually organised function. The project was constructed spending a total of Rs 348 crore on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis with 50:50 cost-sharing between the government of Kerala and the Government of India, according to officials.
6.8-km-long Alappuzha bypass inaugurated
The project was executed nearly four decades after it was mooted. The foundation stone of the project was laid in the 1980s, but due to financial and land constraints, the construction got delayed indefinitely. According to media reports, governments at the state and Centre lacked interest in reviving the project. The Construction of the road began in 2005.
According to Mathrubhumi, out of the 6.8 kilometres, 4.8 kilometres including the approach road is an elevated highway. The 3.2 kilometres long elevated highway is the first to be built over the sea and is the largest. It will give commuters a magnificent view of the Arabian Sea.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Union Ministers V K Singh and V Muraleedharan also joined online at the inaugural function in Thiruvananthapuram attended by state ministers G Sudhakaran, T M Thomas Isaac and P Thilothaman and people's representatives.
Speaking at the function, Gadkari said the project, having a 4.8 km elevated highway, is very important from the tourism point of view. He extended special thanks to the Chief Minister and the state government for their contribution in executing the project.
'Cooperative federalism can make a difference'
In his address, Chief Minister Vijayan noted that the Kerala government and the Central government have been able to work together effectively on various developmental initiatives. "The inauguration of the bypass in Alappuzha is yet another example of how cooperative federalism can make a difference in the lives of our people," the Chief Minister said.
Asked about Former CM Oommen Chandy seeking an apology for the three-year delay in the commissioning of the Alappuzha bypass project, the Chief Minister said it was waiting for completion since the past 40 years. After the LDF came to power in 2016, the PWD department worked fruitfully and the government intervened to ensure that it was completed, he said. Describing Chandy's statement as "irresponsible", he said the project suffered some delay due to COVID-19 as many migrant workers had returned to their respective states.
Meanwhile, Congress activists had staged a protest to the bypass inauguration venue alleging that Rajya Sabha MP K. C. Venugopal was not officially invited to the function, Mathrubhumi News reported.
(With PTI inputs)
Published By : Jay Pandya
Published On: 29 January 2021 at 12:06 IST