NHAI hastens Edappally-Aroor road corridor in Kerala

The National Highways Authority of India has hastened the process of widening the congested 16-km elevated Edappally-Aroor NH Bypass on NH 66 corridor as the consultancy firm appointed by NHAI is all set to submit the feasibility report. The firm is likely to suggest ways to add one more lane in four-lane portions by redesigning components of the 45-metre-wide NH Bypass, like vacant space on service roads, which can be added to the main carriageway. A detailed software-aided survey is being carried out as part of the feasibility study. The firm has submitted an inception report to the NHAI. Land acquisition, if needed, will be minimal, since clearing of encroachments will in itself increase the width of service roads in most areas.

The Edappally-Vyttila stretch is largely four-lane, although it carries around one lakh passenger car units daily, traffic that requires minimum eight-lane width without which there has been congestion and accidents. The Vyttila-Aroor stretch has a few six-lane portions due to widening of the carriageway and new bridges built over a decade ago. The NH Bypass caters for intra-city, inter/intra-State vehicles, which include national permit, container, tipper, and tanker Lorries. The NHAI has already mooted ₹1,300 crore for an elevated six-lane highway on the 15-km Aroor-Thuravoor NH corridor, which forms part of the 220-km Ramanattukara (Kozhikode)-Thuravur (Alappuzha) stretch.