Travel time will reduce by two hours between these cities; Kerala’s Rs 7,937 crore expressway

KOZHIKODE: The proposed Greenfield Highway between Kozhikode and Palakkad will reduce travel time by two hours, cutting the current 126-km journey from over three hours to just within 2 hours. With an estimated cost of Rs. 7,937 crore, the 121-km access-controlled expressway has entered a critical phase after receiving approval to use 134 hectares of land, including areas near Silent Valley National Park.

Currently, traffic congestion often extends travel time beyond three hours and 20 minutes. The project will avoid environmental conflicts by constructing underpasses, without service roads, along animal pathways, guided by the Zoological Survey of India’s recommendations. While 98% of the required land is acquired, the remaining 9.526 hectares of forest land and 124.574 hectares of non-forest land faced delays.

The expressway will start at Palakkad’s Marutharode (NH 544) and end at Kozhikode’s Panthirangavu (NH 66), prioritizing direct routes through residential areas to minimize disruptions.