KOCHI: MP Benny Behanan has urged the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to immediately re-notify the NH 544 Angamaly–Kundannur Kochi Bypass Project, citing its critical importance to Kerala’s transport network, economic growth and national logistics grid.
In a letter to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, the MP said the project had slipped into avoidable delay due to procedural lapses.
The project received its 3-A notification in August 2024, but the subsequent 3-D notification was not issued within the legally mandated window, stalling land acquisition and triggering anxiety among affected residents.
According to Behanan, several petitions have already reached the ministry from landowners and local stakeholders, urging swift intervention to restart the process.
Fresh traffic data for 2025, he noted, underscores the urgency. The Angamaly–Kundannur stretch now carries around 60,000 vehicles a day. This is significantly higher than the 48,000 daily vehicle count projected for 2025 in the 2018 traffic survey.
With the proposed Kodungallur–Angamaly corridor expected to funnel additional traffic into the alignment, the MP said any further delay would only worsen congestion and compromise road safety.
Behanan highlighted the project’s strategic role in linking NH 544 to NH 66 via the Kundannur–Maradu corridor, particularly the high-density Maradu–Aroor section.
The bypass also forms a key access route to Infopark, Kochi airport, the Cochin Port, refineries and major industrial clusters.
Calling the project one of national and regional significance, Behanan said its design must reflect current and projected traffic realities, ensuring adequate width, grade-separated junctions and safety features to serve long-term demand.
He requested the ministry to issue a fresh 3-A notification without delay, complete all legal and administrative formalities on priority, and put the project back on track within the shortest possible time-frame.