Kundannoor-Angamaly bypass DPR to be ready in a year.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will ink an agreement with U.S.-based Louis Berger later this week to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the approximately 40-km-long Kundannoor-Angamaly NH bypass.

The project envisages a 45-metre-wide four-lane bypass flanked by service roads.

The private firm emerged as the most-preferred bidder from among the three which were in the fray to prepare the DPR. “The DPR stating the alignment options, project cost, quantum and cost of land acquisition for the proposed 45-metre-wide bypass has to be submitted by July 2018. Men and materials for preparing the DPR have to be readied by August,” NHAI sources said.

The agreement will be inked at the NHAI’s regional office in Thiruvananthapuram. The NHAI would chose the best alignment from among the two or three that will be submitted by the firm, they added.

The bypass has been proposed to decongest the 16-km-long Aroor-Edappally NH Bypass and the Edappally-Angamaly NH 47 corridor, where traffic snarls are the norm. These two four-lane stretches carry over a lakh passenger car units (PCUs) daily. This high volume of vehicles need an eight-lane road for safe commuting at reasonable speed.

“Our emphasis is on minimising land acquisition, for which the firm has been asked to submit three alignments. The NHAI will choose the one which causes least relocation to landowners, while at the same time adhere to safety standards fixed by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC). PowerPoint presentations will be made before ministers, people’s representatives from the region, key State government and district-level officials, to ensure transparency and clarity on the project,” NHAI sources said.

The NHAI is also keen on developing the 31-km-long Vyttila-Thuravoor NH bypass stretch into a wider, safer corridor.

A report is expected shortly on widening the road wherever possible, building flyovers, underpasses and foot overbridges, to streamline traffic flow and to ensure the safety of pedestrians. Accidents involving pedestrians are very high on the Edappally-Vyttila-Thuravoor NH stretch, since it is flanked by densely-populated and commercial areas.

THE HINDU