National Highway 66 (India)

National Highway 66
Route information
Length:	1,622 km (1,008 mi)
Major junctions
North end:	Panvel, Maharashtra
	NH 48 in Panvel NH 166 in Pali NH 748 in Panaji NH 366 in Cortalim NH 566 in Verna NH 52 in Ankola NH 69 in Honnavar NH 169 A in Udupi NH 79 in Mangalore NH 169 in Mangalore NH 766 in Kozhikode NH 966 in Ramanattukara NH 966A in Cheranelloor in Kochi NH 544 Edapally in Kochi NH 966B in Kundannoor Kochi NH 183A Titanium Jn in Kollam NH 183 High School Jn in Kollam NH 744 Chinnakada in Kollam NH 944 in Nagercoil
South end:	Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
Location
States:	Maharashtra: 482 km (300 mi) Goa: 139 km (86 mi) Karnataka: 280 km (170 mi) Kerala: 669 km (416 mi) Tamil Nadu: 56 km (35 mi)
Primary destinations:	Panvel - Ratnagiri - Sindhudurg - Panaji - Karwar - Udupi - Mangalore - Kasaragod - Kannur - Kozhikode - Ponnani - Kochi - Alapuzha - Kollam - Trivandrum - Kanyakumari
Highway system
Indian road network National Expressways State ← NH 48 NH 44 →

National Highway 66, commonly referred to as NH 66 (Erstwhile NH-17), is a busy National Highway that runs roughly north–south along the western coast of India, parallel to the Western Ghats. It connects Panvel (a city south of Mumbai) to Kanyakumari, 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.^[1] 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.^[2] There were protests for a narrower stretch from the people who will lose lands, but the Karnataka government has not heeded the protests.

However, road widening in other states such as Kerala and Goa has not started, and Kerala has requested for a narrower 45 metre stretch in the state. Initially Kerala demanded a 30-metre-wide highway, but NHAI threatened to stop work in the state and concentrate on the other states. Widening of this highway into a 60-meter wide, four-lane, international standard highway is in progress in Karnataka and Maharashtra. The Maharashtra section of this highway will be converted into a flexible pavement (asphalt) road with four lanes.^[3]

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.^[4] 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.

Route

It starts at Panvel, at the junction of National Highway 4 (NH 4), and ends at Kanyakumari. NH-66 mainly traverses through the west coast of India, sometimes touching the shores of the Arabian Sea. The NH66 touches the Arabian Sea at Maravanthe in Karnataka, Thalassery, Alappuzha and Kollam in Kerala. It passes through the Indian states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Kochi Bypass (part of NH 66) at Vytila, Kochi

The National Highway 66 connects cities and towns of different states as follows: Panvel, Pen, Mahad, Khed, Chiplun, Sangameshwar, Hatkhamba (Ratnagiri), Lanja, Rajapur, Kankavli, Kudal, Sawantwadi, Panaji, Canacona, Margao, Karwar, Kumta, Honnavar, Bhatkal, Kundapura, Udupi, Surathkal, Mangaluru, Uppala, Kasaragod, Taliparambu, Kannur, Thalassery, Vatakara, Payyoli, Koyilandi, Kozhikode, Feroke, Ramanattukara, Tirurangadi, Kottakkal, Valanchery, Ponnani, Chavakkad, Kodungallur, North Paravur, Kochi, Cherthala, Alappuzha, Ambalapuzha, Haripad, Kayamkulam, Karunagapally, Kollam, Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kanyakumari.

Road condition

The NHAI has received the approval to upgrade the complete stretch of highway, from start to end, to a four-lane highway, which will be 60 metres and grade separated. Out of four states through which the highway goes, Karnataka and Maharashtra have received approval from the centre for the 60 metre wide highway. Kerala and Goa have requested a narrower width of 45 metres, and there are protests against the highway being widening in these states.^[5][6] NHAI feels the Kerala state government was lethargic in acquiring land. The four-laning of NH-66 (Mumbai-Kanyakumari) has been completed until Thalapadi in the Karnataka-Kerala border and only its stretch in Kerala is pending. NHAI does not have any immediate plan to widen this highway in Kerala and closed its Kozhikode office, though NH-66 has one of the highest vehicle densities compared to sections of the highway in other states.

Tunnels will be constructed in the stretches where the road goes through the forest or ghat section. As the forest department does not allow land acquisition for road widening purposes, tunnels which can accommodate four-lane expressways are proposed for such stretches of the road in NH-66.^[7] One such proposal is the Maharashtra government's proposal of 1.4 kilometre tunnel at the Karnala bird sanctuary.

Kollam Bypass (part of NH 66) at Mevaram, Kollam city

Currently, the road is comparatively narrow and without dividers for the most part. The lack of dividers has led to an increased incidence of head-on collisions between vehicles. At some places, signboards indicating left or right turns, speed-breakers, etc. are either damaged or missing. In addition to its narrow span, there are no guard railings along the sides of the highway. The sides of the road are at times at a lower level than the road.^[8] Due to heavy human settlement around the highway and narrow span, the average speed on this highway is far lesser than what can be attained on comparatively better highways such as NH3, NH4 or NH8. One can find carcasses of animals on the road, indicating the risk of inattentive animals coming into the road. Two-wheel vehicles must take a special note of this. The road surface is uneven at certain stretches, not just in rainy seasons, but even at other times.

At certain places in Karnataka, the surface is so badly damaged that the iron rods underneath are exposed. Presently, the work on widening this highway has been undertaken at certain stretches. Due to narrow span and lack of dividers, there are no separate lanes for oncoming traffic, driving and passing (over-taking). As a result, over-taking is quite rampant. At times, motorists attempt over-taking even on curves where the oncoming traffic cannot be seen. Other motorists are advised to be on the lookout for such oncoming vehicles.

On 19 March 2013 a bus carrying over 50 persons fell off a bridge close to a river in the Khed area of Ratnagiri district. 37 people were killed in the incident.

The highway in the state of Karnataka is being upgraded to a 60-metre-wide grade separated highway, in which vehicles can travel at a speed of 100 km per hour. It is a major overhaul, in which certain bridges are being constructed as six-lane bridges for the smooth movement of traffic. The widening work is going on in the complete stretch from the Goa border to the Kerala border. The stretch between Suratkal (NITK) to Kankanady cross (Mahavir Circle) has been already converted to four lanes.^[9] The four-lane stretch between Surathkal and Coondaapur is under progress.^[10]

Connectivity

Prior to the building of National Highway 66 (NH 66), then known as National Highway 17 (NH17), in the 1960s and 1970s, ships and steamers running between Mumbai and Mangalore calling at different ports were the only means of transport along the west coast of India adjoining the Arabian Sea. These ship services were abandoned later. The NH 66 connects the interior parts of the coastal regions with the rest of the country. The NH 66 connects the major sea ports of West India, Mumbai, JNPT at Nhava Sheva, Mormugao (MPT), New Mangalore (NMPT), International Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi and Ratnagiri Port and other important ports like Beypore Port, Kollam Port and Vizhinjam Port.

Hence this National Highway 66 allows for the movement of goods by trucks (lorries) from the hinterland to the major sea ports of India. Trade and commerce in the region have increased due to the expansion of markets for agricultural products and seafood produced in the region connected by this highway. The formation of NH 66 has led to the development of tourism in the region connected by this highway. Goa state is a classic example of this development. Many industries have been set up along National Highway 66, taking advantage of connectivity and proximity to ports on the Arabian Sea. The highway was the only source of connection between areas in the coastal districts, until the Konkan Railway was opened in 1998, between Mumbai and Mangalore.

Major cities and places on the highway

Maharashtra state

Goa state

NH-66 in Goa

Karnataka state

Uttara Kannada District

Dakshina Kannada (Udupi and Mangaluru District)

NH-66 in Karnataka

Kerala state

Tamilnadu state

Lifestyle along NH 66

NH 66 passes through hills, forests, rivers, rivulets, and streams, generally flowing westwards towards the Arabian Sea. Most of the region has typical scenes like coconut trees dotted all along with paddy fields and arecanut gardens. The road is uneven, and bumps, curves, steep rises and narrow paths in between hillocks are found all over this highway. As this region experiences heavy rainfall, potholes are occasionally present.

Although the languages spoken vary along the highway, the food of the people along the NH 66 has some common ingredients like coconut, chili, pepper, coconut oil, and fish. The region has a higher literacy rate than other regions of India. The building of National Highway 66 has led to rapid development of the towns and cities along the highway.

Parallel access controlled expressway

This highway is expected to lose importance in coastal Karnataka as 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 Mangaluru, Karwar, and Panaji.^[4][11] This highway-expressway combination can be compared to the Mumbai-Pune Highway-Expressway combination. Two-wheeler, three-wheeler and local traffic will use the four-lane highway (without access control and designed for slower traffic), whereas trucks, buses and four-wheelers will travel at the maximum speed on the access-controlled 3D right-of-way designed 6/8-lane expressway. (The 3D right-of-way concept means adding the space (height) element to the usual length and breadth dimensions involved in road construction.)

Popular culture

• A road trip along the highway was made popular by the Bollywood film Dil Chahta Hai.^[12]

See also

• List of National Highways in India (by Highway Number)
• National Highways Development Project

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to NH 66 (India).

Route map Route map

Indian Highways Network Map
Expressways in India	Ahmedabad-Vadodara Ambala-Chandigarh Belghoria Chennai Bypass Chennai HSCTC Coimbatore Bypass Delhi-Gurgaon Delhi-Faridabad DND Flyway Hosur Road Elevated Hyderabad Elevated Hyderabad ORR Jaipur-Kishangarh Mumbai-Pune Noida–Greater Noida Raipur-Durg Yamuna
National Highways	1 2 102 202 302 502 3 103 303 133 503 703 4 5 105 205 6 106 206 306 7 107 307 507 707 907 8 108 9 109 309 309A 509 709 10 110 11 325 12 112 NH 512 13 113 313 513 713 14 114 314 15 115 215 315 415 515 715 16 116 216 316 516 716 17 117 217 317 517 717 18 118 19 119 319 519 719 919 20 120 320 520 21 22 122 322 522 722 922 23 24 25 125 26 27 127 127A 227 327 527 527B 527D 727 927 28 128 29 129 30 130 330 530 230 31 131 231 331 361 431 531 731 32 132 332 33 34 134 334 534 734 934 234 35 135 335 36 136 336 536 37 38 138 161 39 139 339 539 40 140 41 141 42 43 143 44 244 144 344 544 744 944 45 46 146 47 147 48 148 248 348 448 548 648 748 948 49 149 50 150 150A 150E 51 151 52 152 352 552 752 53 153 353 54 154 55 56 156 57 58 59 60 160 61 161 161A 62 162 63 163 64 65 165 66 166 366 565 566 766 966 966A 233B 233A 966B 67 167 367 68 69 169 169A 369 71 73 173 75 275 77 79 81 181 83 183 85 86 87
State Highways	Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Odisha Puducherry Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Telangana Tripura Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh West Bengal
Notable	National Highways Development Project Golden Quadrilateral North–South and East–West Corridor Arunachal Frontier Highway