Kochi, March 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Thalappady Chengala six-lane stretch of the national highway in Kerala on Wednesday, marking the completion of the first segment among the 23 highway expansion projects currently underway in the state.

The 39 km stretch from Thalappady, the northern gateway to Kerala on the Karnataka border, to Chengala in Kasaragod district is part of the massive highway modernisation programme undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India.

Work on the corridor began in November 2021 and was completed on August 25, 2025, after nearly three years and nine months of construction.

The project has drawn national attention as it was executed by the Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society, the only Kerala-based organisation among the contractors handling the 23 highway stretches in the state.

The workers’ cooperative completed the project ahead of several leading national contractors, earning widespread recognition for its quality and timely execution.

For its performance, the Society received the prestigious ‘National Highways Excellence Award 2023’ from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The award was presented in New Delhi by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, marking the first time the cooperative was recognised for a project undertaken for the National Highways Authority.

The Thalappady Chengala highway has also been featured among the 12 best roads in the country in the 2026 calendar of the National Highways Authority, the only project from Kerala to receive that distinction.

A major engineering highlight of the corridor is the country’s longest single pillar six lane bridge, built using a box girder system, located along this stretch.

Beyond engineering, the project has also been noted for its sensitivity to local concerns and environmental protection.

During construction, the cooperative ensured access roads for residents living along the highway corridor and addressed community concerns by coordinating closely with authorities.

Environmental initiatives undertaken during the project attracted attention as well.

When a rare 40-year-old mango tree had to be removed near Mogral Puthur, the cooperative produced 500 grafted saplings with the help of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at the Kasaragod Horticultural Research Centre and replanted them.

In another instance, construction was halted for nearly 55 days after workers discovered python eggs at the site, allowing them to hatch before work resumed, an act widely reported.

Officials say the project symbolises how infrastructure development, environmental responsibility and community engagement can go hand in hand as the state’s highway network undergoes rapid transformation.

–IANS

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