KOCHI: Muvattupuzha residents and those commuting through the town are a frustrated lot as a crucial road renovation project, just 1.8-km long, has remained stalled for over six months. The delay -- which has led to severe traffic congestion -- has been squarely blamed on a lack of coordination between the state-run Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The administrative confusion over which agency would execute the work on a critical stretch, extending from the Post Office junction to Petta Road, has turned a major thoroughfare into a logistical nightmare. The indecision has also resulted in a massive waste of time and resources.
The problems began when NHAI, after successfully completing the renovation on the town’s outskirts, moved its men and machinery away from the site. They were part of a Rs 910-crore project to widen the two-lane NH corridor from Kochi (Kundannoor) to Munnar, a total of 124 km.
“Our original scope of work included the section passing through Muvattupuzha town, but KRFB informed us that they will carry out the road development work there. Hence, it was removed from the scope of the contract. The men and machinery were all moved away to another site -- the 12-km-long Neriamangalam-Adimali section,” a senior NHAI official told TNIE.
However, KRFB, which was tasked with the in-town portion of the project, made an unexpected U-turn and entrusted the work back to NHAI. This decision came after a significant delay, due to associated paperwork and sanctions, besides other aspects. The central agency was also forced to bring its crew and equipment back to the site, a process that consumed much time.
“It is hereby informed that urgent maintenance work needs to be carried out on the road stretch that forms part of the national highway from Muvattupuzha Nehru Park to Vellorkunnam signal junction descoped from KIIFB town development project. It has been directed to give instructions in this regard to that office by the Muvattupuzha Taluk Development Committee held on 05/07/2025. Hence, do the needful at the earliest in this regard and make road trafficable in order to avoid accidents,” reads the letter sent by the office of the executive engineer, KRFB (project management unit, Muvattupuzha-Idukki division).
When contacted, a KRFB assistant executive engineer admitted that the agency was originally slated to carry out the work in the 1.8-km Muvattupuzha section at a cost of Rs 20 crore.
“However, the Taluk Development Committee meeting decided that the Nehru Park--Velloorkunnam signal junction work should be handed over to NHAI as the area falls on the stretch they are widening.”
The project, which should have been completed by May, is expected to take many more months to complete.
“Road development works are currently stalled because of heavy rain. We now aim to complete the same by March 2026,” the NHAI official said.
For commuters, the consequence of this bureaucratic logjam is daily hardship. The persistent traffic jams and slow-moving construction have severely impacted the daily life of thousands of people who rely on Muvattupuzha town roads.