The development of NH 66 bypass from Mukkola near Vizhinjam to Karode near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border — the first concrete national highway in the state — is finally nearing completion. According to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), 97% of the work has been completed and only a 1km stretch at two sections — Thengavila near Punnakulam and Thirupuram — remains to be completed. NHAI officials said the highway stretch is expected to be commissioned by the end of May.Meanwhile, the road work at the Tamil Nadu side from Karode to Villukuri near Nagercoil came to a standstill owing to the unavailability of red earth and land acquisition issues. However, NHAI officials said the stretch from Kovalam to Karode will be
opened for traffic once the highway till Karode is commissioned. The official said the Karode-Kanyakumari stretch would take two more years to complete.Once the highway is opened, commuters coming from north Kerala can save time without entering Thiruvananthapuram city for going to Tamil Nadu via Kanyakumari. The stretch will also enable the smooth transportation of containers and trucks once the Vizhinjam International Seaport becomes operational as another road connecting the port and the NH bypass is being built. Earlier, insufficient number of labourers due to the pandemic had hit the project work. L&T, which is executing the work, is also developing the remaining part of the bypass that extends to Kanyakumari. The road widening began in July 2017. The first phase of NH 66 from Kazhakootam to Mukkola was commissioned in 2019.
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