The Kerala High Court has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to examine systemic road deficiencies on the Paliyekkara stretch of NH 544 in Thrissur and report on the corrective measures being taken. The agency has been asked to file an affidavit by December 16 detailing the progress of the project and addressing the defects identified by a court-appointed traffic management committee.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V M Syam Kumar issued the directive while hearing a batch of petitions filed in 2021 by Shaji J Kodankandath and others. The petitions challenge toll collection at Paliyekkara on the Mannuthy-Edappally stretch, citing severe traffic congestion along the route.
The deficiencies were documented by the interim traffic management committee (ITMC), Thrissur, which was constituted by the court. The committee submitted its report in compliance with an earlier direction and highlighted various issues affecting the Paliyekkara stretch.
During the hearing, the additional solicitor general of India submitted that a substantial part of the deficiencies identified in the ITMC report fell outside the scope of the project. The submission placed the road defects within a wider dispute over the responsibilities covered by the highway project and the corrective work expected from NHAI.
The court has now directed NHAI to examine the systemic deficiencies identified by the ITMC and explain the action taken. Its affidavit must also provide details of project progress, making the December 16 filing the next formal milestone in the proceedings.
The hearing is significant for the Paliyekkara section of NH 544, a part of the Mannuthy-Edappally corridor that has been under scrutiny because of traffic congestion and the continuing toll dispute. The court’s direction links the question of toll collection with the condition and performance of the highway stretch, rather than treating the toll petition as a standalone issue.
The court was also informed that a flyover on the stretch is expected to be completed by December 2026 or, at the latest, January 2027. The timeline was placed before the bench by the additional solicitor general during the proceedings.
NHAI’s affidavit will have to set out the progress made on the flyover and respond to the road deficiencies recorded by the ITMC. The filing is expected to clarify which defects fall within the project’s scope, what action has already been taken and how the authority proposes to address the remaining issues.
