NHAI begins work on vehicle underpasses, flyovers to decongest Edappally Junction

The NHAI has begun preparatory works to build a flyover on the southern side of Edappally Junction as part of the project to construct a pair of vehicle underpasses on either side of the junction.
| Photo Credit: H. VIBHU

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun preparatory works to build a pair of flyovers on either side of Edappally Junction as part of efforts to ready a pair of vehicle underpasses (VUPs) to decongest the bottlenecked junction where NH 66 intersects NH 544.

Thus, two 650-metre-long flyovers, having 50-metre-wide underpasses, would be built atop the (parallel to the) Edappally-Palarivattom bypass corridor and the Edappally-Varapuzha NH 66 corridor. They would come up near Oberon Mall on the southern side of Edappally Junction and in front of LuLu Group office located on the northern side of the junction. Both the flyovers would be located approximately 700 metres away from the junction, while the space beneath them would function as underpasses for vehicles to take a 180-degree turn, official sources said.

These structures would be built by the same firm that is widening the Edappally-Muthakunnam NH 66 stretch, by the time the widened NH is readied in March 2026. Motorists along NH 544 would thus be able to cross Edappally Junction without waiting for multiple traffic signal changes. They would, however, have to travel approximately 2 km extra to cross the junction by using the VUPs beneath the proposed flyovers. The VUPs on either side of the junction would be much wider than conventional VUPs on highways, considering that Edappally is among the busiest junctions in Kerala, it is learnt.

The NHAI has already begun preparatory works for the VUP on the service road in front of Oberon Mall. The 16-km elevated highway that the NHAI has mulled on the Edappally-Aroor bypass would take off from the southern side of the upcoming underpass in front of Oberon Mall, the sources said.

Once the VUPs are ready, vehicles coming from Kalamassery on NH 544 and wanting to turn right from Edappally towards Varapuzha on NH 66 will have to turn left at the junction, use the VUP near Oberon Mall and proceed straight to Varapuzha. Similarly, motorists from the Mamangalam side who want to turn right from Edappally towards Vyttila will have to turn left at the junction, use the VUP near LuLu Group office and proceed straight towards Vyttila. Vehicles coming from Vyttila will be permitted to turn right towards Aluva.

The NHAI is learnt to have opted for the pair of VUPs beneath the proposed flyovers at Edappally, rather than an underpass linking the NH Bypass with the rest of the NH 66 on the northern side of the junction to lessen the extent of land acquisition, it is learnt.