Government approves Rs 588 crore highway project in Karnataka

NEW DELHI: The government today approved a Rs 588 crore highway project in Karnataka under its flagship road building programme.

"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for two/four laning of the Kerala border-Kollegal section of National Highway 212 in the state of Karnataka under the National Highways Development Project Phase IV, on design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis in build-operate-transfer (Toll) mode of delivery," an official statement said.

The cost of the project is estimated at Rs 588.49 crore, including Rs 65 crore towards land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities.

The length of the road will be about 150 kms, it said. "The project will expedite improvement of infrastructure in Karnataka and also reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between the Kerala border and Kollegal," the statement said.

National Highway 212 connects Kozhikode in Kerala to Kollegal in Karnataka and passes through the towns of Gundlupet, Nanjangad, Mysore and T-Narsasipur in Karnataka.

Development of this stretch will also help to uplift the socio-economic condition of this region of Karnataka, besides increasing employment potential for local labourers, it said.