KOCHI: The state government has finally completed the transfer of HMT and NAD land to the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) for the long-delayed second phase of the Seaport-Airport Road, breaking a two-decade deadlock.
Industries Minister P Rajeeve said the handover marks a major breakthrough in resolving one of the biggest hurdles that stalled work on the crucial project connecting Irumpanam to Nedumbassery. “The land issue that held up the project for over 20 years has now been fully resolved. Construction on this stretch will begin soon,” he said, adding that the progress was the result of continuous intervention by the state government.
The HMT land at Kalamassery, a key bottleneck in the project, was formally handed over to RBDCK for developing the stretch between HMT Junction and NAD. As first reported by TNIE, the land transfer covers 1.4015 hectares from HMT in Thrikkakkara North village, acquired for `37.90 crore as per a Supreme Court directive. The compensation was deposited in a nationalised bank on the court’s instructions.
In addition, 2.4967 hectares of land from NAD (Naval Armament Depot) has also been handed over. The state government had sanctioned Rs 32.26 crore for the process, which included the Defence Ministry’s valuation of Rs 23.11 crore for the land, Rs 8.16 crore for widening the NAD-Thorapp Road, and Rs 99.43 lakh for compound wall construction.
The government had already issued administrative sanction of `17.31 crore for the construction of the HMT-NAD stretch, with tender proceedings under way. The HMT segment will see a 600-m-long road built 45m wide, while work on the NAD stretch will proceed based on the approved sketch, ensuring no further delay.
Tenders for the NAD-Mahilalayam stretch, covering 6.5 km, are expected by December. Land acquisition is nearing completion, backed by `569.34 crore sanctioned by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board. Out of 529 affected holdings, 210 awards have been passed, and 90% of the remaining awards are expected to be finalised by December.
The 25.7-km Seaport-Airport Road, extending from Irumpanam to Nedumbassery, is a vital corridor aimed at decongesting the city and providing a faster route to the airport.
