Kozhikode: The proposed elevated highway connecting Kozhikode airport with Ramanattukara is likely to be developed along the existing Palakkad-Kozhikode National Highway route, according to indications.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started a study to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for developing a four-lane road from Ramanattukara to Kolathur, near the airport. The study is in its final stage and will also examine the feasibility of constructing an elevated highway along the stretch.

The proposal comes amid concerns over the challenges involved in expanding the existing road into a four-lane corridor. Around 12 hectares of land would have to be acquired for the widening project, which would also require the removal of several commercial establishments along the route.

The possibility of delays in land acquisition, disruption to the project timeline and additional financial burden are among the factors that led Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to suggest the elevated highway option.

An elevated corridor would require little or no land acquisition, reducing one of the major hurdles in implementing the project.

If the elevated highway is constructed, entry and exit points are likely to be provided only at Ramanattukara and Kolathur. This could allow passengers travelling to Kozhikode airport to reach the facility from Ramanattukara in around 15 minutes.

Other vehicles can continue to use the existing road below the elevated corridor. The elevated route could also be used by long-distance travellers, excluding buses.

The exact design and structure of the elevated highway will be decided after the completion of the feasibility study by the NHAI. The alignment will be finalised only after this assessment, following which the DPR will be prepared.

If implemented, the project would become Kerala’s first elevated highway connecting an airport.

Along with the Ramanattukara project, the state government is also moving ahead with another elevated highway proposal from Kohinoor.

The National Highways wing of the Public Works Department has submitted a proposal to develop this stretch as a greenfield highway. The proposed elevated corridor from Kohinoor would cover 5.5 km, while the Ramanattukara elevated highway would extend for 9.6 km.

The proposals are part of wider efforts to improve connectivity to Kozhikode airport.

The Calicut Airport Committee and the Malabar Chamber of Commerce have suggested that the airport should be connected to the proposed Kozhikode-Palakkad greenfield highway.

Such a connection, they said, would improve access to the airport from different parts of the region.

Malabar Chamber of Commerce president Nityananda Kamath said the two elevated corridors would not only address travel difficulties to the airport but also support Kozhikode’s development.

“When two elevated roads come to the airport, it will not only solve the travel problem but also pave the way for Kozhikode’s development. Better connectivity will bring more investments in the IT sector, medical and tourism fields. It will be a major boost to Kozhikode’s growth. The government should take interest and implement the project on a war footing,” he said.