Thiruvananthapuram:

After years of deliberations about the ideal width of highways in Kerala, the United Democratic Front government in the state on Thursday decided to have a width of 45 metres for highways in the state.

In past years, all political parties in the state had pitched for having a road width limited to only 30 metres, apparently to appeal to tens of thousands of people who had homes and establishments by the roadside. This went against the standard highway width of 60 metres of the National Highways Authority of India. Later, parties were agreeable to having a road width of 45 metres, but stood firm against the proposal of 60-metre highways.

Chief minister Oommen Chandy said on Thursday that it had been decided that the National Highway 17 and National Highway 47 that run vertically through the state will have a width of 45 metres. Chandy said the federal authorities will take charge of developing the NH-17 from Kochi to the northern tip of Kerala in Kasaragod district, and the NH-47 from Cherthala to Kazhakoottam in the outskirts of the state capital, to a width of 45 metres.

Chandy said the expansion of the highways to 45 metres would be taken up expeditiously and that the district collectors would soon be given directives for the same. Reports indicate that the NHAI will commence work only if the state guarantees that it will acquire 80 per cent of the land required for the broadening of the highways.

The state cabinet which took the decision on Thursday, also decided to provide market rates for those whose land and properties were being acquired for the highways. He said it would not be acceptable if anyone refused to part with land for the road widening.

The state government will also expedite land acquisition for laying the liquefied natural gas pipelines that run through different districts.

Over the last four decades, road infrastructure in the state has failed to keep pace with the rise in vehicle population. Motor vehicle numbers in the state have spurted from just over 3 million in 2005 to roughly 8 million in 2013, while the road infrastructure has shown a much lesser capacity addition.

The poor road infrastructure has also been a contributor to a high number of casualties on the state’s roads. In 2011, nearly 4,000 people lost their lives in road accidents and over 40,000 were injured.