Alignment of Kodungallur-Angamaly NH 544 bypass is likely to be ready in a fortnight

NHAI envisages the bypass as a continuation of the 50-km Aroor-Angamaly NH 544 bypass, which is expected to merge with NH 544 at Karayamparambu north of Angamaly. | Photo credit: File photo

The detailed project report (DPR) for the Kodungallur-Angamaly National Highway (NH) 544 bypass is in its final stage, with the alignment of the corridor expected to be fixed within a fortnight, it has been learnt.

The approximately 18-km stretch, expected to be constructed at a cost of ₹ 360 crore, would help motorists bypass congested junctions, especially in and around Angamaly, where they are often held up by snaking traffic snarls. A final initial report has been submitted and the adaptation options study is under investigation and verification. The width and other aspects of the project will be finalized soon, official sources said.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) envisages the bypass as a continuation of the 50 km Aroor-Angamaly NH 544 Bypass, also known as the Kochi Bypass, which is expected to merge with NH 544 at Karayamparambu north of Angamaly. A new 3A land acquisition notification for the eight-lane Kochi bypass is expected to be issued soon as the original notification expired in 2024.

An additional 12.5 meter wide land is expected to be acquired on either side of the proposed 45 meter wide corridor earmarked for the Kochi bypass on the green field to accommodate eight lanes. This would allow the stretch to be widened to a 10-lane corridor at a later stage, it was found.

Meanwhile, there is a growing demand that the NHAI, which collects toll from motorists at Paliyekkara, should ensure optimum utilization of the existing width of the state highway along the Edappally-Karayamparambu stretch, which is part of the toll corridor, to streamline traffic flow and reduce traffic delays.

Arjun Prakash, an IT professional who frequently commutes between Kochi and Thrissur along the NH and is also the administrator of the social media collective Kochi First, said the NHAI should ensure wider asphalted carriageway and well-maintained shoulders along the corridor.

Welcoming the ongoing moves to build a pair of greenfield NH bypasses to create a direct link between Aroor and Kodungallur, he said the projects would help create a semi-circle of national highway corridors around Kochi.

“Among other benefits, these projects would greatly reduce the travel time for regular commuters and air passengers, especially those from Thrissur and other northern districts who use the Cochin International Airport. NHAI, on its part, must build rapid link/connectivity roads from NH green corridors to airports and other key cities. The proposed national highways and their proper link roads will clearly catalyze the development of residential and commercial areas in Kochi. The national highways also it will decongest the two roads connecting Aluva and Perumbavur,” he added.

Published – 26 Jul 2026 22:09 IST