The NHAI’s delay in completing the widening of narrow parts of the Edapally-Mannuthy NH 544 toll corridor and in constructing underpasses and flyovers on the stretch is continuing to cause traffic snarls.
| Photo Credit: FILE
The Kerala High Court has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to redress safety concerns raised by the interim traffic management committee about the Edappally-Mannuthy NH 544 corridor in a time bound manner.
The NHAI has further been ordered to submit a compliance report by mid November about safety and allied issues on the 65-km-long corridor where toll collection resumed on October 17, 2025, on the assurance that steps will be taken without delay to end traffic gridlocks. The court had suspended toll collection from August 6, following a slew of petitions expressing concern at traffic snarls (including a 12 hour long one), and those that sought a direction to the NHAI to ensure safe and smooth flow of vehicles on the stretch. The traffic management committee was constituted to ready an interim traffic management plan.
On Monday (October 3, 2025), a Division Bench of Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Harisankar V. Menon directed the NHAI to redress the continuing safety concerns, while considering a plea by Congress leader Shaji J. Kodankandath and others. This was after the District Collector of Thrissur submitted that many safety concerns continued to persist on the NH 544 corridor. They included safety hazards in the vicinity of sites where deep excavation was done.
Toll collection challenged
The day also saw Mr. Kodankandath challenge the continued collection of toll on the NH corridor. He said that the Guruvayoor Infrastructure Private Ltd has already recovered the total cost of the project based on which the corridor was developed, with reasonable profit. The rationale behind the collection of toll is that motorists who are paying the toll should be able to travel without facing traffic congestion. But despite the reintroduction of toll, there is no improvement in traffic movement. Long hours of traffic blocks still continue at Muringur and Amballur. The situation would worsen once Koratty junction is also blocked for underpass construction.
The situation is likely to worsen, and traffic may come to a standstill once the Sabarimala season starts, as vehicles carrying pilgrims begin flowing from other districts and States to the hill shrine. Contending that the continued toll collection on the NH stretch is illegal and arbitrary, Mr. Kodankandath sought a direction from the HC to restrict toll collection at NHAI’s Paliyekkara Plaza on the Edappally-Angamaly stretch until underpasses were commissioned at Amballur, Chirangara, Karukutti, Mulangu and Koratty.
Published – November 03, 2025 07:54 pm IST
