National Highway 66 (India)

For the old National Highway 66, see National Highway 66 (India, old numbering).

National Highway 66 shield}}
National Highway 66
Map
Map of the National Highway in red
Route information
Part of AH20
Length1,640 km (1,020 mi)
Major junctions
North end NH 48 in Panvel, MH
Major intersections
South end NH 44 in Kanyakumari, TN
Location
CountryIndia
States
Highway system
← NH 65→ NH 166

National Highway 66, commonly referred to as NH 66 (erstwhile NH-17 and a part of NH-47),[1] is a mostly 4 lane 1640 km ( 1020 miles) long busy National Highway that runs roughly north–south along the western coast of India, parallel to the Western Ghats. It connects Panvel, a city east of Mumbai (Bombay) to Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) via Cochin (Kochi), passing through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The highway is undergoing a major overhaul in Karnataka, where the state government has accepted the NHAI's request of international standard, 60-metre-wide national highway with grade separators.[2] The complete stretch from the Goa border (near Karwar) to the Kerala border (near Talapady) is being widened to four lanes, with space to accommodate future expansion to six lanes.[3] There were protests from the people, who will lose lands, for a narrower stretch. But the Karnataka government has not heeded to the protests.

Land acquisition and tendering process for 6Lane national highway finished in Kerala. New bypass works have already been kick-started. Owing to higher density of population and high land value, national highway will be 45 meter width, 6 lane, in Kerala. Goa also will have a similar alignment. Karnataka and Maharashtra sections will have 60-meter width. The Maharashtra section will be converted into a flexible pavement (asphalt) road with four lanes.[4][5][6]

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India has proposed a greenfield (i.e., new and parallel) access controlled expressway corridor connecting the port cities of Mangalore-Karwar-Panaji as part of the Indian National Expressway Network.[7] This expressway will be parallel to NH-66 and will be mainly located in coastal Karnataka. It is expected to be a 6/8 lane access-controlled 3D right-of-way designed expressway.

  1. ^ "Kerala National Highways - National Highways in Kerala". Just Kerala.
  2. ^ "Plan to widen National Highway 17 opposed". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 19 March 2010.
  3. ^ Kamila, Raviprasad (24 May 2011). "20-km road widening completed between Kundapur and Surathkal". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  4. ^ "All new national highways to be made of concrete: Nitin Gadkari". timesofindia-economictimes.
  5. ^ "National Highway work gains speed in Kerala". 27 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Home".
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).