KOCHI: Even as the construction of the Aroor-Thuravoor elevated highway has entered the final phase, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has kickstarted the process of constructing a similar six-lane elevated highway in the Aroor-Edappally stretch as well, aiming to complete the project in another three and a half years.
“We have floated the tender for preparing the new detailed project report (DPR) after finalising the revised alignment. Several bids have been received. The same will be examined in detail and the consultant will be selected in a week’s time. The DPR will be prepared in six months time and we aim to complete the project construction in another three years,” a senior NHAI official said.
The vital northern extension of the under-construction Aroor-Thuravoor elevated highway will facilitate quick travel for long-distance commuters by creating a seamless, elevated corridor for through traffic on NH 66, bypassing the most congested urban choke points of the city. The 14.64-km corridor will start at Edappally Junction (south of the existing flyover near Oberon Mall) and end at Aroor Junction, near the landing of the Aroor-Thuravoor elevated highway currently under construction.
Though a Bhopal-based consultancy firm prepared a DPR earlier, it didn’t take into account the under-construction metro viaduct at the Palarivattom Bypass Junction.
The NHAI had then directed the firm to prepare a new alignment, so as to ensure a proper vertical clearance where the elevated highway intersects with the Kochi Metro’s Kakkanad extension. As per the revised alignment, the flyover, as part of the elevated corridor, is proposed to be constructed at a height of 32 metres above the existing flyover there and the upcoming metro viaduct.
The Aroor-Edappally bypass is currently one of Kerala’s most overburdened road segments, routinely carrying an estimated one lakh passenger car units (PCUs) daily. The rest of NH 66 in Kerala is undergoing six-laning, and the completion of the Aroor-Thuravoor elevated highway, expected by mid 2026, will dramatically increase the traffic flow up to Aroor. Without the Edappally link, this would create an even greater bottleneck at the Aroor junction and across the Kochi bypass.
The corridor crosses highly-developed urban areas and major junctions like Palarivattom, Vyttila, and Kundanoor, which already have existing flyovers. However, the project is being planned in such a way that it fits within the existing ROW (Right Of Way), and hence no need for much additional land acquisition.