The development of the proposed 121-km, two-lane Kochi-Dhanushkodi NH 85 section from Kochi to Munnar project has gathered momentum, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recently finalised the contract for the ambitious project.

The 121-km length of the narrow NH 85 that runs between Kochi (Kundannoor) and Munnar will be converted into a two-lane highway as part of a Rs 790 crore project. 

The work will begin in January 2023 and will be finished in 30 months, by mid-2025. 

The corridor will include paved shoulders and retention walls along the stretch to prevent landslides. Landslips frequently occur in the high mountains over which the road runs, necessitating significant investment in often ineffective damage-control measures.

In addition to this, driving was restricted for days at a time, cutting off the people from the mainland.

The completion of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi NH 85 project, which is a main entry point for tourists travelling to Munnar from Kochi, is likely to boost tourism prospects.

A four-lane Greenfield National Highway (NH) in the Kochi-Munnar-Theni corridor of about 151-km is being planned and the project is expected to improve connectivity on the route further. 

“Once completed, tourists and others are expected to take the corridor that would be redeveloped, while commercial traffic like goods carriers would take the Greenfield NH which is part of the initiative to improve connectivity between Kochi and Tuticorin ports and would take a different alignment,” reports The Hindu. 

The detailed project report for Kochi-Munnar-Theni corridor is anticipated to be completed by early 2023. The estimated cost of the road project that would start from south of Kundannoor Junction is Rs 3,000 crore. 

In order to minimise curves and guarantee quick land acquisition, the alignment would go through areas that are least developed or unoccupied. Service roads will be located on either side of the four-lane NH.