Kochi-Dhanushkodi NH opening may be delayed

Works on Gap Road stretch unlikely to be over before monsnon

The opening of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway (NH 85) may be delayed as works on the Gap Road stretch of the Munnar-Bodimettu section are unlikely to be completed before the northeast monsoon. Though the second-level tarring of the 42-km Munnar-Bodimettu stretch is almost over, works on the landslip-hit Gap Road need more time, say revenue authorities. Earlier, it was decided to open the road before March 15. However, the work on the Gap Road stretch was a challenge to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) . There were three major landslips on the stretch on July 28 and October 8 in 2019 and on June 19, 2020 causing large-scale damage in the area. In the first two landslips, vast areas of farmland downhill were destroyed. The last landslip washed away nearly 200 metres of the road.