KOCHI: With the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issuing the 3A notification for the key Angamaly-Kundannoor bypass project, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is eyeing to start construction of the 44.7-km-long greenfield highway by April 2025, when it hopes to complete the land acquisition process.
“As the project is crucial for the decongestion of the region, we’re aiming for its speedy implementation. Now that the official gazette publication of the 3A notification has been issued, the land acquisition process will start soon. The same is expected to be completed by April 2025, when we’ll start the construction of the highway. We aim to complete the project in another two-and-a-half years, by October 2027,” said a senior NHAI official.
The Rs 6,000-crore project will connect Karayamparambu near Angamaly to Kundannoor, decongesting the existing NH-544 and NH-66 sections from Angamaly to Aroor. Long-distance vehicles can bypass the Kochi city and junctions like Angamaly, Aluva, Kalamassery and Edappally, saving nearly an hour..
Easier access to airport
The realisation of the project will benefit hundreds of Kochi airport passengers from northern and central parts of the state, as they will be able to reach their destination without getting caught in traffic snarls at key junctions like Angamaly.
“As per the approved alignment, the proposed highway will pass through the stretch of land between the airport and Periyar river. We’ll provide access to the airport by setting up a nearly 3-km-long road,” official said.
3A notification for land acquisition
The 3A notification (under the National Highways Act, 1956) to acquire land for the bypass project was issued on August 29. A total of 280 hectares of land from 17 villages – Angamaly, Arakkapady, Pattimattom, Vadavucode, Aikaranad North, Aikaranad South, Thiruvaniyoor, Marampally, Karukutty, Thuravoor, Mattoor, Vadakkumbhagom, Kizhakkumbhagom, Kureekad, Thekkumbhagam, Thiruvankulam and Maradu – will be acquired for the project.
The Centre is expected to meet the full land acquisition cost, around `2,000 crore. As per the initial agreement, the state was ought to share 25% of the land acquisition cost. However, the state requested the Centre to exempt it from the same.
The latter agreed on the condition that the state should exempt the GST and royalty on aggregates and earth for the project. The state cabinet relaxed the provisions of the KMMC (Kerala Minor Mineral Concession) Rules, 2015, to extend royalty exemption to the project over a month ago.
Three key projects
As per the alignment, the bypass will join the NH-66 near the Maradu market. Along with this, the NHAI is planning to take up the Willingdon Island road corridor project, a 5.72-km-long highway corridor linking Willingdon Island to Aroor-Edappally NH-66 bypass.
It will start from CIFT Junction and extend to Nettoor Junction. The NHAI also plans to start the construction of the proposed six-lane elevated highway on the Edappally-Aroor stretch of NH-66 at the start of the next financial year.