Redevelopment of NH 183 gains traction

The Hindu

18-05-2025

Plans to develop the Kollam–Kumily stretch of National Highway 183, a key project for the overall development of the Central Travancore region, have gained momentum with the issuance of land acquisition notifications.
Confirming the development, Mavelikara MP, Kodikunnil Suresh said that two notifications have been issued for acquiring land required to widen the first phase of the highway to 24 metres. 'The project is now awaiting a financial clearance for its first stretch, which runs from the Kollam bypass to Anjilimoodu near Chengannur. Consultation meetings ahead of construction have already been completed,' he said.
The first phase covers a 54-km stretch and involves constructing a four-lane road with a 15-metre-wide carriageway, 1.5-metre-wide central divider, 1.5-metre-wide footpaths, 2-metre shoulder pavements, and 0.5-metre-wide utility ducts. The estimated cost for this phase is ₹2,300 crore and of this, ₹950 crore will be spent on the stretch from Kadavoor to Vayyankara in Kollam district and ₹1,350 crore on the section from Vayyankara to Anjilimoodu in Alappuzha district.
The project also includes the construction of four major bridges, including a railway overbridge at Perinad in Kollam, a railway underpass at Chakkuvalli, and a road intersection at Charummoodu.
'As soon as financial clearance is granted, a notification will be issued to enable land surveys, inspections and valuation, followed by the land acquisition process. A Mumbai-based agency has been appointed as the project consultant,' the MP added.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), on its part, has already started work on a ₹36-crore project to upgrade the Main Central Road from Anjilimoodu to Kottayam. Financial allocations have also been released for developing the Kottayam–Ponkunnam and Ponkunnam–Kanjirappally stretches of the highway.
Meanwhile, progress is also being made on a parallel highway project that will connect Karunagappally in Kollam to Mundakayam in Kottayam. A feasibility study for this 116.8-km route, which passes through the high-range areas of Pathanamthitta and Kottayam, is currently under way.
According to officials, this highway will link with the Erumeli–Sabarimala route at Elavunkal, pass through Kanamala, bypass Mukkuttuthara and reach Peroorthodu via the MES junction. It will then continue to Mundakayam via Manjaruvi and Kannimala.
'The alignment avoids major towns and populated areas by incorporating bypass roads. But with much of the route cuts through plantations and forest fringes, land acquisition may take sometime,' an official noted.
Plans are also being considered for new national highway corridors linking Kayamkulam to Munnar, Alappuzha to Kodaikanal, and Kayamkulam to Punalur.