The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is still awaiting clarity from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on a proposal by INKEL Limited, a public-private partnership company promoted by the State government, seeking more time to provide bank guarantee on the Kozhikode bypass project.

The development comes in the wake of reports that the Ministry might rope in Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) for the six-laning of the 28.4-km Kozhikode bypass from Vengalam to Idimuzhikkal. Previously, it had also toyed with the idea of bringing in L&T for executing the project.

Krishna Mohan Construction Private Limited, the Hyderabad company, which secured the contract had failed to secure a bank guarantee of ₹85.50 crore. According to the contract, the construction of the six-lane bypass should have started in August 2018 and completed in April 2020.

Work on six-laning the 40.80-km Azhiyur-Vengalam section of National Highway 66 in Kozhikode district will begin when the State government hands over the land acquired for the ₹1,838-crore project. Sources said AEL had already won the multi-crore six-laning of the 40.80-km Azhiyur-Vengalam section last month. The project, granted under the Hybrid Annuity Mode, is part of the Centre’s Bharatmala Pariyojna. The contract will be signed within a month.

At the same time, work on the 2.10-km stretch between Moorad bridge and Palolipalam has already begun. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had laid the foundation stone for the Kozhikode-Palolipalam-Moorad bridge six-lane project crore in October. The project is estimated to cost ₹210.21 crore.

News Source : Construction World