Alappuzha: Elevated Expressway Nears Completion as Kerala Expands Anti-Drug Court Network

Alappuzha's landmark infrastructure project reached a critical milestone in September as the Aroor-Thuravoor Elevated Expressway completed the concreting of its final girders, placing the first stretch on course for handover to the National Highways Authority of India before December 2026. On the governance side, the Kerala Cabinet approved expanded judicial capacity to handle the state's growing volume of drug-related cases, approving three new NDPS courts and 33 new posts in a decision driven by sustained High Court pressure. The two developments together mark a significant week of institutional action with direct consequences for infrastructure and public safety across the district.

🏢 India's Longest Elevated Six-Lane Highway Nears Completion Along NH66

Construction of the Aroor-Thuravoor Elevated Expressway along National Highway 66 has entered its concluding phase, with the contractor Ashok Buildcon reporting completion of more than ninety-five percent of the project for the National Highways Authority of India. A key milestone was reached on September 14, when deck concreting of the final set of girders on the first stretch was completed. Earlier delays caused by overhead power lines running through the construction corridor were resolved in August 2026, when the lines were elevated to clear the project zone. The six-lane elevated corridor, originally planned at 12.75 kilometres, was extended to 13.24 kilometres to incorporate an additional section running from Thuravoor Junction to Alakkaparambu. That supplementary segment will require approximately six more months of work and will bring the total number of pillars across the full project to 366. The first completed stretch is targeted for formal handover to the NHAI before December 2026, while the entry point at Aroor is expected to be ready within roughly two months. Once fully operational, the highway is expected to rank as the longest six-lane elevated expressway in India. For the Alappuzha region, long constrained by its waterway geography and limited ground-level road capacity, the project represents a transformative upgrade in connectivity. The elevated design reduces encroachment on ground-level land — especially valuable in a coastal district where conventional highway widening faces severe space limitations. Businesses and commuters in the area are anticipating substantial relief from the chronic congestion that has characterised travel on this stretch for years. [5]

🗳️ Kerala Cabinet Creates 33 Judicial Posts for Three New NDPS Courts

The Kerala Cabinet meeting on September 2, 2026, approved the establishment of three new special courts to handle cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, to be located in Palakkad, Manjeri, and Thrissur. The decision creates 33 new government posts to staff the additional benches. The Cabinet also approved expanded staffing at the two existing special NDPS courts in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam, raising the permanent posts at each from eight to eleven. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan acknowledged at the post-Cabinet briefing that these decisions would place additional financial obligations on the state, but presented them as a necessary response to a mounting crisis in the judiciary. The Kerala High Court had been pressing for this expansion since January 2026, when it identified Thrissur, Palakkad, and Manjeri as districts with urgent need for dedicated NDPS benches. In March 2026, the High Court issued a formal direction requiring the state to operationalise five new special courts within three months. The Cabinet's September decision fulfils that directive and addresses a backlog of thousands of NDPS cases that have accumulated as enforcement activity intensified under Operation Toofan, the government's large-scale anti-narcotics drive. With general courts unable to absorb the volume of drug cases without causing severe delays, dedicated benches are intended to accelerate proceedings and ensure that enforcement efforts against narcotics networks translate into timely legal outcomes. The Cabinet's response signals a recognition that effective drug policy requires parallel investment in judicial infrastructure, not just in police and enforcement capacity. [6]

Sources: [5] newindianexpress.com · [6] The Hindu