A newly introduced approval requirement by the central government threatens to delay the long-awaited Kundannoor–Angamaly Greenfield National Highway (NH) bypass in Kochi, sparking concern among local stakeholders and infrastructure planners.
The ₹1,000-crore-plus project, aimed at decongesting some of Kerala’s busiest arterial routes, must now obtain fresh approval from the Union Cabinet a shift from the earlier administrative process under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. This policy change, affecting all new NH projects valued at over ₹1,000 crore where tenders are yet to be finalised, has come at a crucial juncture for Kochi’s bypass, which spans 44 km and forms part of a strategic expansion designed to ease pressure on the Edappally–Aroor NH 66 and Edappally–Angamaly NH 544 corridors. These stretches are among the most congested in the state, with over one lakh passenger car units (PCUs) using NH 66 daily. Notably, the Edappally–Aroor segment remains the only section of NH 66 in Kerala yet to be widened.
The new Cabinet approval clause is a result of changes to the Bharatamala Pariyojana framework — a flagship central initiative once intended to accelerate NH development across India. With no new projects currently being accepted under Bharatamala, existing and proposed NH corridors such as Kochi’s bypass must undergo a fresh layer of scrutiny, even if foundational processes like land acquisition and route demarcation have already commenced. According to senior officials overseeing the project, over 50 per cent of boundary-stone laying has already been completed along the Angamaly–Patimattom stretch. One village remains to be covered before the land acquisition phase is wrapped up, a process officials expect to complete by 10 May 2025. Despite the pace of progress on the ground, the uncertainty introduced by the new approval protocol risks pushing back implementation timelines.
Sources close to the project indicated that while such Cabinet approvals may become standard for high-value infrastructure projects going forward, the added procedural steps could discourage faster execution unless parallel systems of clearance are instituted. Projects valued below ₹1,000 crore remain under the purview of the ministry and are not subject to the same delays, further deepening anxieties over whether state-level aspirations can keep pace with central regulatory shifts. Local representatives, whose constituencies lie along the planned bypass corridor, are now stepping in to seek clarity. A coordination meeting involving MPs and MLAs has been scheduled at the Ernakulam Collectorate on April 23 to review the situation, especially the current pace of land acquisition and procedural bottlenecks.
The bypass, which has long been positioned as a key solution to Kochi’s growing traffic and urban mobility problems, also plays a critical role in reducing vehicular pollution. The bottlenecked NH corridors currently contribute significantly to idle emissions, prolonged commute times, and air quality degradation. From a sustainability lens, the greenfield alignment offers opportunities to implement modern, eco-friendly engineering designs, including smart tolling systems, service roads, and green buffer zones. Urban mobility experts argue that infrastructure projects of this nature must be fast-tracked, not just for economic efficiency but also to support environmentally sustainable urban expansion. “Delays tied to bureaucratic back-and-forth only push urban centres closer to collapse. These corridors are not just highways — they are lifelines that connect employment, trade, and low-carbon transit ambitions,” said a transport policy analyst familiar with Kerala’s infrastructure challenges.
Members of civil society and local action groups echo similar sentiments. Representatives from the National Highway Bypass Action Council stressed the need to expedite pending works, particularly boundary-stone laying, and appealed to both State and Centre to streamline procedures that unnecessarily delay projects already in motion. While there is cautious optimism that the Union Cabinet’s approval will come through in due course — given the project’s strategic importance — the delay has amplified calls for a more synchronised, accountable, and transparent infrastructure planning regime. The challenge now lies in ensuring that such procedural transitions do not derail projects that are pivotal to both sustainable urban growth and regional economic integration.
For Kochi, a city already grappling with overburdened roadways and escalating air pollution, every delay comes at a cost. Whether the new norms signal progress through oversight or stagnation through red tape remains to be seen. But for now, residents and planners alike await the next move from the corridors of New Delhi.
Kochi Greenfield Bypass Project Faces Delay Amid Policy Shift
