🔥 Trending National Highway 66 Construction: Updates and Delays

The National Highway 66 (NH 66) widening project, particularly the six-laning in Kerala, is in its final stages, with significant progress reported across various stretches. However, the project has faced some delays and revised completion timelines.

Current Status and Progress

As of August 2026, the six-laning work on NH 66 in Kerala has seen substantial completion in several sections.

• Completed Sections: 184.83 kilometers of the six-lane highway have been completed in Kerala ³. Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas stated that 492 km of NH 66 have been opened for traffic ¹.
• Ongoing Work: Construction is actively underway on an additional 538.76 kilometers, with an average progress rate of 72.50% across these stretches ³.
• Specific Regions: Works in Kannur and Kasaragod are nearing completion, with major tasks expected to be finished before the monsoon season ². In Thiruvananthapuram, approximately 60% of the work has been completed, with priority given to service road construction to maintain traffic flow ⁸.

Revised Completion Timelines

The project has experienced several revisions in its completion schedule:

• Initial Targets: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated in Parliament that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) aimed to complete the 422-km stretch of NH 66 by the end of August 2026 ⁴.
• Further Delays: Despite earlier announcements, the completion of the NH 66 expansion in Kerala has been further delayed, with expectations now pointing to March 2027 ⁵. This delay is attributed to construction defects and design changes, such as the NHAI shifting from retaining walls to concrete pillars in some sections ⁵.
• Inauguration Plans: Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas had previously announced that the newly constructed NH 66 in Kerala would be inaugurated by January 2026 ⁶. However, the more recent reports indicate a later completion.

Challenges Faced

Several factors have contributed to the delays and complexities of the project:

• Construction Defects: Expert inspections have been initiated to address construction defects, which have caused delays ¹⁵.
• Design Changes: Modifications in design, such as the shift from retaining walls to concrete pillars, have also pushed back completion dates ⁵.
• Material and Labor Shortages: In areas like Thiruvananthapuram, material shortages and labor crunches have stalled works, making it challenging to meet existing timelines ⁷.
• Land Acquisition: While significant progress has been made in land acquisition, it has historically been a complex aspect of such large-scale infrastructure projects.

Despite these challenges, efforts are being made to expedite the remaining work, with a focus on ensuring quality and minimizing disruption to traffic flow ⁸.