The detailed project report (DPR) study for the proposed Edappally–Vyttila–Aroor elevated highway in Kochi will restart after discussions between Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav, according to a report by Mathrubhumi.
Senior NHAI officials and technical experts are expected to visit the corridor in the middle of November to prepare a development report. Further action on the elevated highway will be based on the findings of that assessment.
The proposed route covers the central stretch of National Highway 66 between Edappally and Aroor. The surrounding sections are already undergoing major capacity upgrades. Six-laning work is progressing on the Edappally–Kodungallur section to the north, while construction of a six-lane elevated expressway is advancing between Aroor and Thuravoor to the south.
The intervening Edappally–Vyttila–Aroor stretch, however, continues to function largely as an older four-lane road. Eden told the NHAI chairman that leaving this section unchanged could create a major bottleneck between the upgraded northern and southern corridors.
According to the report, widening the existing road through land acquisition would be difficult because large buildings stand on both sides of the corridor. The proposed elevated highway is therefore being presented as an alternative to expanding the road at ground level.
The MP also urged the NHAI to reconsider an earlier view that an elevated road could be avoided in this section because of the proposed Kochi Outer Ring Road. He argued that developing the highway network while bypassing key junctions in Kochi would reduce the effectiveness of the wider transport investment. Eden said he would seek priority for the project with the cooperation of the state government.
The DPR study is expected to examine the corridor’s development requirements before any decision is taken on construction, alignment, engineering design, land implications or project implementation. The NHAI’s site visit and subsequent report will therefore be the next formal milestones for the proposal.
The meeting also addressed persistent waterlogging on the Kodungallur–Edappally section of National Highway 66. The NHAI has approved an additional drainage project worth Rs 7,45,38,700 as part of the second phase of the work. The allocation is based on estimates submitted by local bodies for diverting rainwater into natural water bodies.
With the new approval, the total amount sanctioned for drainage construction on the section has risen to Rs 28.89 crore. An earlier allocation had provided Rs 22.43 crore. The proposed drainage works are intended to address waterlogging along the highway, while the elevated highway DPR process will determine how the central Kochi corridor should be developed alongside the projects already under way at either end.
