The proposed Kozhikode bypass widening project, which has been hanging fire for quite some time, will get a fresh lease of life when Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari lays the foundation stone for the project online on Tuesday.
The project will be part of the ₹11, 571.23-crore package for seven projects under the National Highway Development in the State. The cost of the construction of the six-lane Kozhikode bypass stretching from Vengalam to Idimuzhikkal ( 28.4 km) will be ₹1,853.42 crore. The cost escalated from ₹1,710-crore when the project was awarded to a Hyderabad-based company in April 2018. Incidentally, the cost of the project had been pegged at ₹1,450 crore when it was conceived in 2016.
New bridge
Mr. Gadkari will also lay the foundation for Palolipalam- Moorad bridge on the 2.1-km six-lane road. It would be built at a cost of ₹210.21 crore, Public Work Department sources said.
NHAI plan
The new development comes at a time when the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI) is planning to go for retendering the bypass project after cancelling the contract awarded to Krishna Mohan Construction Private Limited, which had failed to secure the bank guarantee of ₹85.50 crore for the project.
Now, with the support of the State government, INKEL Ltd. (Infrastructure Kerala Limited), a public-private partnership company, has decided to partner with the project.
The expansion of the bypass was envisaged under the National Highway Development Project Phase III. The government will share 40% of the cost to start the work while the contractor will have to make the remaining investment.
The proposal included construction of eight overbridges at Ramanattukara Junction, Azhinjilam, Pantheerankavu, Hi-lite Mall Junction, Cyber Park, Thondayad, Pooladikunnu and Vengalam Junction besides four underpasses at Vayalkkara, Kadathumpara, Mokavoor and Ambalappadi.