KOCHI: Despite several interventions, a rapid surge in vehicle numbers has left the Edappally-Aluva-Athani section on NH 544 -- the primary gateway to Kochi airport located 28 km north of the city -- heavily congested, affecting hundreds of travellers.
The traffic gridlock, especially at key choke points like the Marthanda Varma bridge in Aluva, is worsening by the day even as calls grow louder for the implementation of the second phase of the Seaport-Airport Road on a war footing.
“Connectivity to the airport is vital for the growth of any city,” D Dhanuraj, chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), a city-based think tank dealing with social issues, said.
The latest figures show that Koch airport records an annual footfall off 1.12 crore, he pointed out.
“With NH 544 getting severely congested, it’s high time we developed another alternative. The state government must treat the completion of the Seaport-Airport Road Phase II as a flagship project with a time-bound implementation schedule, instead of announcing several projects simultaneously.
The project, which has already faced a delay of over two decades, can’t be delayed any further. Its realisation will help a major chunk of airport commuters from central Kerala travel without touching NH 544,” Dhanuraj said.
According to the draft comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) prepared by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), while the congestion translates to an average delay of four minutes on key routes, the plight of commuters on the Edappally-Aluva-Athani stretch is worse -- a delay of up to 14.5 minutes.
The second phase of the Seaport-Airport Road has been envisioned as the solution to the airport connectivity dilemma, offering a crucial bypass to the congested NH 544 corridor. While the proposed extension — connecting Kalamassery HMT Road to the airport — is expected to provide a four-lane artery directly linking the city’s economic hubs with the airport, the project has been put on cold storage for years.
“It’s a herculean task to reach the airport on time during peak hours due to severe bottlenecks at key choke points like Edappally (till Toll Junction where vehicles take a U-turn, the section before the Kalamassery metro station, Marthanda Varma bridge in Aluva, and Paravur Kavala. I now opt to travel on the Kochi Metro till Aluva and then take the metro-feeder bus to the airport. The frequency of the e-feeder buses should be increased,” said Kochi resident Ramesh Mathew, a frequent flyer.
“CIAL is now constructing three bridges in the region surrounding the airport for better connectivity. Similarly, CIAL should take up the construction of the Chowara road to the airport using its CSR funds,” said V C Jayendran, convener of the Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents’ Association (TRURA) which has been demanding a quick implementation of the Seaport-Airport Road project.
“Also, accidents are rising on the 13-km phase 1 stretch, from Karingachira to Kalamassery. The two-lane road needs to be widened on a war footing,” he added.
Work will begin soon, says Rajeeve
Meanwhile, the authorities have assured that the construction of the second phase will commence soon. The implementing agency, Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBCDK), is set to issue the tender for the work on the 600-metre stretch from HMT to NAD. The state government has issued administrative sanction to allot Rs 17.31 crore to facilitate the work in that section.
A review meeting chaired by Industries Minister P Rajeeve on Saturday decided to initiate the tendering process as soon as the project gets technical sanction.
“A 45m-long road is being laid. We also intend to issue the tender for the work on the 6.5-km NAD-Mahilalayam stretch in December,” he said.
The land acquisition on the stretch is nearing completion, with the KIIFB having allotted Rs 569.34 crore for the process. The government will also fast-track the work at the NAD end, the minister said.
Split into two phases, the Seaport-Airport Road project covers a total of 25.7 kilometres -- from Irumpanam near Tripunithura to Kochi airport in Nedumbassery.
The RBDCK completed the first phase -- from Irumpanam to Kalamassery, covering 11.3 km -- in 2003 and handed over control of the stretch to the PWD in 2020.