Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Public Works Department (PWD) Minister P K Basheer on Wednesday said India government has approved projects worth ₹2,039 crore for the state following his first meeting with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi.
In a Facebook post, PWD Minister Basheer said the approved projects include the construction of a bridge across the Kabani River, connecting Perikkallur in Wayanad district with Bairakuppe in Karnataka, at a cost of ₹49 crore.
The union government has also approved ₹98.40 crore for works on National Highway 744, ₹172 crore for National Highway 966 from Ramanattukara to Chandranagar in Palakkad, and ₹66 crore for the old National Highway 66 stretch from Kazhakkoottam to Balaramapuram, he said.
According to the minister, the union government has also sanctioned ₹1,663 crore for the four-laning of the Kadavoor-Aanjilimoodu stretch of the Kollam-Theni National Highway.
Basheer said the Union minister also gave in-principle approval for ropeway projects at Sabarimala, Munnar and Wayanad.
He said approval for the proposal to widen National Highway 185 from Adimali to Kumily would be granted shortly, while revised alignments for the proposed Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha bypasses would also receive early clearance.
The minister further said Gadkari directed National Highways Authority officials to prepare and submit the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed elevated highway from Ramanattukara to Kozhikode airport.