List of 15 State Highways in Kerala

source: onmanorama

State highways in Kerala connect the district headquarters and major towns within the state. These fine networks of the road also connect districts and towns with the national highways and highways of other states.

Kerala has about 72 state highways, and the cumulative length of state highways accounts for 4342 km, which is 2.5% of the nation's total state highway length. The SRIP (State Road Improvement Project) intends to upgrade, manage and maintain the Kerala state highways to improve road safety and capacity.

1. Kerala State Highway 1 (KL SH 1) (Known as the Main Central Road or MC road)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Kesavadasapuram in Trivandrum city and ends at Angamaly in Ernakulam district
• Route: The highway pass through Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta
• Distance: 240.6 km

2. Kerala State Highway 2 (KL SH 2) (Known as the Thiruvanathapuram-Thenmala Road)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Thiruvananthapuram Peroorkada and ends at Thenmala Kollam.
• Route: Nedumagad, Palode and Kulathupuzha
• Distance: 73.2 km

3. Kerala State Highway 3 (KL SH 3) (Known as Nedumangad- Shorlacode Road)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Nedumangad Toll junction and ends at Kadukkara, Kerala- the Tamilnadu border.
• Route: Nedumangad Toll junction, Arayanadu Kuttichal junction, Kallikadu Junction, Kudappanamoodu Junction, Kathipara junction, Kaddukara.
• Distance: 37.5 km

4. Kerala State Highway 5 (KL SH 5) (Known as KP Road or Kayamkulam-Punalur Road)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Kayamkulam and ends at Punalur.
• Route: Kayamkulam, Kattanam, Charumood, Nooranad junction, Adoor, Pathanapuram, Kallumkadavu junction
• Distance: 42.5 km

5. Kerala State Highway (KL SH 6) (Known as the Kayamkulam-Thiruvalla Highway)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from  Kayamkulam and ends at Thiruvalla
• Route: Kayamkulam town, Mavelikkara junction, Chettikulangara Devi Temple, Mannar Mavelikkara junction, Chennithala, Mannar, Parumala, Manipuzha bridge, Thiruvalla Town
• Distance: 30.8 km 

6. Kerala State Highway 7 (KL SH 7) (Known as Thiruvalla-Pathanamthitta-Kumbazha highway)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from SCS Junction, Thiruvalla, and ends at Kumbazha.
• Route: Thiruvalla, Manjadi, Kattode, Meenthalakara, Thottabagom, Nellad, Kumbanad Pullad. Though SH 7 runs only through the Pathanamthitta district, it links the district to other districts like Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam.
• Distance: 32.8 km

7. Kerala State Highway 8 (KL SH 8) (Known as the Main Eastern Highway or Punalur-Muvattupuzha highway)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Punalur and ends at Muvattupuzha
• Route:  Passes through Kollam, Kottayam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam
• Distance: 153.6 km

8. Maharashtra State Highway 1 (MH SH 1)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Kanjikuzhia and ends at Kozhencherry
• Route: It links Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.
• Distance: 44.4 km

9. Kerala State Highway 10 (KL SH 10) (Known as the Mavelikkara-Kozhencherry Highway)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Mavelikkara and ends at Kozhencherry
• Route: Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta
• Distance: 28.7 km

10. Kerala State Highway 11 (KL SH 11) (Known as Alapphuzha Changanassery road or AC road)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Kalarcode, Alappuzha and ends in Perunna, Changanassery.
• Route: Alapphuzha and Kottayam
• Distance: 24.2 km

11. Kerala State Highway 12 (KL SH 12) (Known as the Ambalapuzha-Thiruvalla Highway)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Ambalapuzha and ends in Thiruvalla.
• Route: Alapphuzha and Pathanamthitta
• Distance: 27.2 km

12. Kerala State Highway 14 (KL SH 14) (Known as the Erattupetta-Peermade Highway)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from  Erattupetta and ends at Pattihanam Junction
• Route: Kottayam and Idukki
• Distance: 24.3 km

13. Kerala State Highway 15 (KL SH 15) (Known as the Ettumanoor-Ernakulam Highway)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from Ettumanoor and ends at Pulikkal junction
• Route: Kottayam and Ernakulam
• Distance: 57.3 km

14. Kerala State Highway 16 (KL SH 16) (Known as the Aluva-Munnar Highway)

• Entry and exit point: Starts from  Aluva and ends at Northern outlet road
• Route: Ernakulam and Idukki
• Distance: 114.4 km

15. Kerala State Highway 17 (KL SH 17) (Known as Northern outlet road or Munnar-Udumalpet road)

• Entry and exit point: South end NH 85 in Munnar and North end MDR 509 at TN border in Chinnar.
• Route: Idukki
• Distance:  59.1 km

Driving on long scenic highways of Kerala is exciting, but many factors like tolls, low fuel, and unexpected breakdowns can hamper your journey. So, here’s everything you should know:

Valid Insurance Coverage

Having an active car insurance or bike insurance policy is extremely important as it protects your vehicle against damage due to accidents, theft, natural disasters, and vandalism. You can also get Roadside Assistance add-on cover for 24/7 help in case of breakdowns, flat tires, towing, and other emergencies. Additionally, always carry a copy of your valid driving license and other necessary permits.

Pre-Planning

Remember to familiarise yourself with the Kerala state highway route and have a physical map as a backup in case you can’t access online maps due to poor network connectivity in certain areas.

Stock Up on Food and Water

Long highway stretches may have unpredictable rest stops and sometimes traffic can also keep you stuck. So, it’s wise to carry water and enough snacks to get you through.