Call to extend Seaport-Airport Road to Puthiyakavu

Kochi: With the "undue delay" in road projects fast becoming a chokehold on development of Tripunithura and nearby regions, locals, led by Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents' Association (Trura), are now demanding extension of Seaport-Airport (SA) Road to Puthiyakavu.SA Road currently terminates abruptly at Karingachira, creating acute traffic congestion at the junction during peak hours. While widening of Karingachira-Thiruvankulam stretch, part of NH 85, has received administrative sanctions of approximately Rs 42 crore, progress is stalled by litigation.Locals put forth a resolution plan to bypass the stagnation, which is affecting the region's development."By extending SA Road southward through vacant paddy fields to Puthiyakavu, the network could intersect with the proposed Karayamparambu-Nettoor NH bypass," said Trura secretary V C Jayendran.According to him, the extension offers two transformative possibilities. "It offers strategic connectivity through integration with the proposed NH bypass to streamline heavy traffic. If extended further to Puthiyakavu-Kureekad-Chottanikkara Road — a mere 3km stretch — it would serve as a vital bypass for eastern regions including Kandanad, Mulanthuruthy and Piravom.While the original aim of SA Road project is to connect Cochin Port (Willingdon Island) to Kochi airport (Nedumbassery), Phase I of 11.3km stretch was built between Irumpanam and Kalamassery and opened in 2003. Phase II – from Kalamassery to airport - is finally being taken up for implementation after it was embroiled in over two decades of land acquisition hurdles.Parallel to these concerns is the stagnant development of Kaniyampuzha Road. Despite Rs 10 crore being sanctioned in 2021 for widening the stretch from Vyttila through Mathur and Labour Junction to Traco Cables, the road remains narrow and inadequate."This route is the shortest path from Vyttila to Irumpanam and runs parallel to Water Metro. Furthermore, given the strategic importance of Kaniyampuzha Road to industrial safety, govt should explore CSR funding from BPCL," Jayendran pointed out.