NHAI fast-tracks two long-delayed bypass projects

Kochi: Commuters navigating the bottlenecked roads of Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam can expect some relief by next year. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has fast-tracked the construction of bypass corridors for these two heavily congested towns, aiming to break a year-long deadlock caused by land acquisition delays."We aim to start the actual construction works by Sept, with a completion target of just one year. As per the alignment being finalised, both bypass corridors will feature a two-lane paved shoulder road, with a width of 12 metres," a senior NHAI official said.Land, though, will be acquired at a width of 25-30 metres to facilitate the construction of service roads, side drains and pedestrian paths, besides ensuring space for future expansion.The immediate focus is on finalized alignment preparations, which are expected to be completed within the week. This will be followed by the floating of tenders, after which the successful bidder will have four months to prepare the detailed project report, the official added.Currently, traffic congestion is a regular affair, especially in Muvattupuzha town, where traffic from five major directions converges. The two bypass corridors, totalling 15km, are essential components of the broader Kochi-Munnar NH 85 development, which too is in final stages.Despite funds being set aside for the bypass projects in 2023, land acquisition process stalled, leading to the project being shelved."The original project is shelved due to the land acquisition issue. The 3(A) notification was issued on 2023 Dec 7; however, the project was dropped after the land acquisition process suffered major delays. Now NHAI is starting all the process again, starting with the alignment. The actual land requirement as per the revised alignment can be determined only when the process gets completed. The new alignment is being acquired such that the land acquisition requirements are kept to the minimum," MP Dean Kuriakose told TOI.Centre revived the project on the condition that land acquisition be kept to a strategic minimum to ensure feasibility.While the bypasses move forward, the overall Rs 910-crore Kochi-Munnar NH 85 upgrade faces its own challenges. While much of the 124km stretch is being widened, work on the 12km Neriamangalam-Adimali section remains suspended by the high court, pending environmental clearances from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.