The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is expected to take a decision within a month on the alignment of the Kundannoor-Angamaly bypass that was proposed to decongest the Edappally-Aroor NH 66 bypass.
The proposal for an alternative bypass dates back to 2016 considering that the NH bypass, which is flanked on either side by shopping malls, automobile dealerships and other big commercial firms, was unable to hold the ever-increasing number of vehicles, which crossed 1 lakh passenger-car units (PCUs) on the 16-km corridor. The delay in finalising the alignment has resulted in traffic hold-ups becoming the norm, even after flyovers were built at the four busy junctions.
It is reliably learnt that the project’s approximately 44-km-long alignment, its viability and the land that has to be acquired are being vetted by the NHAI’s land acquisition committee (LAC). An estimate will be readied after this.
Spur-road connectivity
A decision on readying a spur road to establish connectivity from the proposed NH bypass to land that had been acquired over two decades ago for the yet-to-be-realised Thripunithura bypass is expected soon afterwards, bringing respite to landowners who were demanding road connectivity. The over 220 landowners, whose lands were frozen after being given pitiable compensation back then, had been on the warpath ever since, demanding road connectivity that had been promised.
MP’s plaint
The Central and State governments shying away from the spur-road project despite the Centre including the Thripunithura bypass in the Bharatamala project had invited much flak. Speaking to The Hindu, Thomas Chazhikadan, MP said the NHAI has not taken a stand on this although he and other MPs from Central Kerala repeatedly raised the demand in the Lok Sabha.
“The NHAI need not spend money for land acquisition to ready a 3.80-km spur road from Mattakuzhy Junction to Thiruvankulam since four acres that was acquired for the Thripunithura bypass project is idling,” said K.M. Baby, a member of the action council that had been formed to realise road connectivity. The mud and gravel that is excavated from the area, which has hilly terrain, can well be reused for constructing the proposed NH Bypass in the Puthen Cruz-Kundannoor corridor, he added.
