Coastal highway project: First reach construction from Vizhinjam to Kappil

VIZHINJAM: The Revenue Department has started issuing initial notices for land acquisition from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollamcode. These notices aim to inform property owners. The second phase, which will determine property prices, will be issued later. Land acquisition markings were completed two years ago.

The coastal highway will be constructed by widening the road from Adimalathura through Mukkola-Vizhinjam-Kovalam. It will connect to the bypass at Kovalam junction and then extend to Kumarichantha. From there, the first stretch of 18.9 km will continue along the coast to Kappil. Construction is scheduled to start in May next year. The highway will feature a two-and-a-half-metre-wide cycle track and footpath on both sides.

Plans are also in place to develop the Chovvara and Vizhinjam junctions. The Vizhinjam port is being designed to manage future traffic congestion, with a roundabout planned. The junction leading to Kovalam Beach will also undergo development. To ensure seamless movement of goods, a flyover will be built, allowing the coastal highway to pass through Vizhinjam port without interruptions.

The coastal highway will stretch from Poovar in Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, covering 655.6 km with a width of 14 metres. Administrative approval for the first reach was granted by the KIIFB Governing Body in 2018. The highway will be built in four reaches: areas with a width of 14 metres in the first reach, areas with widths ranging from 8 to 12 metres in the second, regions where land acquisition is challenging in the third, and areas unsuitable for land acquisition in the fourth. Elevated roads will be constructed in regions where land cannot be acquired.