A high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram in the presence of Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, Revenue Minister K. Rajan, and Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas on Wednesday decided to upgrade the Bharat Mata College-Ernakulam Collectorate and the Infopark-Irumpanam reaches of Seaport-Airport Road to a four-lane highway.
Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has already begun four-laning of the collectorate-Infopark stretch that connects the two above reaches. Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Limited (RBDCK) will prepare a four-laning plan and submit it to the Public Works department.
The representative of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) told the meeting that the upcoming board meeting of KIIFB would consider the request for sanction of ₹722 crore for extending Seaport-Airport Road from the Naval Armament Depot (NAD) to Mahilalayam Junction.
The phase-II expansion covering the 2.7-km stretch between HMT Road and NAD has been stalled for some time thanks to litigation. While land acquisition along the stretch will be subject to outcome of the case in the Supreme Court, RBDCK has been permitted to furnish a bank guarantee of ₹16.35 crore as part of the requirements to acquire HMT land for the expansion of the road. This is in the wake of the legal advice received by the government that it could proceed with land acquisition procedures as stipulated by the law.
The government will, in the meantime, urge the Ministry of Defence to speed up procedures for the release of 529 cents from NAD for the expansion of the road. RBDCK will submit a ₹40.5-crore plan to the government for the redevelopment of NAD road as soon as land is made available for the project.
Besides the ministers, the meeting was attended by Revenue Principal Secretary Tinku Biswal, District Collector N.S.K. Umesh and RBDCK managing director S. Suhas.
