Kazhakoottam flyover

Kazhakoottam flyover is a flyover, that is a part of the NH 66 in Kerala, India.^[1] The 2.7 km long four line flyover is the longest elevated highway in Kerala.^[2] The flyover runs above the Kazhakootam junction, where the original national highway intersects with the bypass road.^[3] Vehicles travelling from Kollam can enter the elevated highway near the CSI Mission Hospital in Kazhakootam.^[4]

Kazhakoottam flyover
കഴക്കൂട്ടം മേൽപ്പാലം
Route information
Maintained by NHAI
Length	2.4 km (1.5 mi)
Existed	3 December 2022 (2022-12-03)–present
Major junctions
South end	Techno Park, phase 3
North end	Kazhakoottam
Location
Country	India
Major cities	Thiruvananthapuram
Highway system
Roads in India Expressways National State Asian

Overview

The flyover is 22 metres wide and contains 61 pillars and 420 girders. Its development began in December 2018 at a cost of Rs 195.5 crore and the construction was supposed to be finished in two years.^[5] It starts from CSI Mission Hospital at Kazhakkoottam to Techno Park phase-III. The construction of the flyover started with the announcement that it would be open to public in two years. But it got delayed due to many reasons including the Covid lockdown.^[6] Originally, the flyover was scheduled to open on 1 November 2022. It was later moved to 15 November and again to 29 November. The inauguration date was again postponed to 2 December and the venue was decided. However the inauguration was cancelled due to the unavailability of Union minister Nitin Gadkari. As the protests intensified, the National Highways Authority of India opened the flyover unofficially to public on 3 December and official inauguration was postponed to 15 December.^[7]