Plans to ease traffic in Kochi with the Edappally–Aroor elevated highway on NH 66 and the long-awaited Kochi bypass have faced fresh delays due to uncertainty over the alignment of NH 966B from Nettoor to Willingdon Island.
Nettoor is poised to become a key junction, linking the Angamaly–Kundannoor bypass (NH 544), NH 966B, the proposed NH 66 elevated corridor, and the Theni–Kochi highway. However, disagreements on how these highways will intersect are slowing progress.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently informed Parliament that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is considering a cloverleaf flyover at Nettoor. Although the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) approved the 45-metre-wide NH 966B corridor from Nettoor to the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) on Willingdon Island via Thevara Ferry in November 2023, the final alignment remains undecided. The Highway Engineering Consultant (HEC), responsible for the detailed project report, has submitted a revised alignment suggesting a cloverleaf model.
NHAI officials have acknowledged that the uncertainty is a major concern.
“The confusion over the highway convergence at Nettoor is a fresh hurdle for the Angamaly–Kundannoor bypass project. While a re-issue of the 3A notification was planned, the government requires clarity over the endpoint of the highway at Nettoor and the alignment of all roads converging there. This may further delay the new Kochi bypass project,” said an official from the NHAI Palakkad office overseeing the bypass.
