Keralam to approach Centre for elevated Kottayam–Kochi corridor

The State government will soon recommend to the Centre a new road linking National Highways 183 and 66 to ease traffic congestion on the Kottayam–Kochi route.

The proposed corridor will start from Kottayam and pass through Kumarakom, Vechur and Vaikom before joining the Angamaly–Kundannoor bypass near the Thripunithura market.

Confrming the development, Kottayam MP, K. Francis George said the Chief Minister and the Public Works Minister had assured him that the State’s recommendation would be submitted soon. He had taken up the proposal with them following an assurance from Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in the Lok Sabha that the Centre would consider it.

“The State government’s recommendation is necessary for the Centre to include the proposed road in the national highway network and take up its development” Mr George said.

Based on the recommendation, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will send a team to study the proposal once the State submits its recommendation, he added.

According to National Highways officials, the road between Kottayam and Kochi carries around 90,000 passenger car units (PCUs) a day, nearly nine times the stated capacity of 10,000 PCUs for a level, two-lane road. During peak hours, motorists can spend more than three hours covering the 60-km distance.

Taking note of this, Mr George had urged the Union Minister to develop a corridor connecting NH 183 and NH 66 to provide a direct link between Kottayam and Kochi and ease the pressure on existing roads.

The proposed corridor could be built on an elevated structure to avoid damage to agricultural land and the environment and ensure that natural drainage remains unobstructed. It would also eliminate the need for land acquisition, Mr George said, citing the Union Minister’s suggestion.

Besides easing travel between Kottayam and Kochi, the corridor is expected to benefit people in Kottayam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts and give a boost to transport, trade and industry across central Kerala. It could also cut travel time to Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery and improve access to Kumarakom, a major international tourist destination.