A bumpy ride on highways with misery for company

At the dawn of July 3 this year, the Edappally-Thrissur Stretch of NH 544 seemed deceptively calm after the driving all night.

Cherumukku was going home from Thiruvananthapuram in Vilson’s newly purchased car when Vilson hit the disaster in Muringoor.

Suddenly stopped in front of the vehicle, Manu’nun sent the brakes of the vehicle sent. The wet surface betrayed him. The car devoted from the narrow, slippery service path, and became a gap left behind by ongoing underpass works in a pit full of deep water of 10 meters.

The only security measures in force were a plastic traffic cone and a loosely stretched rope to the site. Luck was with them and survived. Shortly after, they came out of the barbected vehicle with small cuts and caries.

A month later, the same site witnessed another accident. A truck loaded with timber was overturned on the service path and distributed the logs along the stretch. For about 15 hours, the traffic froze on a still line stretched for miles. He was stuck for thousands of jams, burned patience.

Accidents underlined that the NH 544’s Thri -Nakulam stress has been going on for months: endless traffic congestion, dusty Byroads that need to crawl, vehicles exploding from the road and a creeping fear of catastrophic. Disappointment entered the petitions, protests, and now the Supreme Court of Kerala attacked the Indian National Highways Authority (NHAI), which implemented the road project.

On August 6, 2025, the Supreme Court ordered the suspension of the money collection in Paliyekkara Plaza and held NHAI responsible for not being able to provide safe, motorized roads. The Supreme Court later approved the decision. Thrissur refers to the collector’s security threats report and reiterated the “no fee for insecure roads” and repeated the Supreme Court on September 25th.

Justice question

For the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) secretary Shaji J. Kodanandath, who mobilized the Supreme Court for suspending the paid collection, the problem is not only about the discomfort it gives to the drivers, but to justice in the approach.

“Stretch, even now witnesses heavy traffic blocks. The job is moving very slowly. It may take another year to complete the work planned to be completed until October 2025,” he thinks.

It increases a request: ın Reduce fees by 50% until the work is completed. Why should we pay for a car on service roads?

The temporary traffic management committee established to examine the issue of traffic congestion suggested that the service roads should be expanded and repaired and replacing damaged culverts to alleviate traffic.

The Committee, led by Arjun Pandiian, a collector of Thrissur, suggested to install street lamps along the interior and put bilingual panels to show the traffic deflection. Police and Motor Vehicles Department accepted the concerns expressed by the collector.

The NH 544 upgrade project included underpasses and overbrids to eliminate “black spots ve and facilitate blockage. Instead, they witness the kidnapped final delivery dates and public risk. The construction of sub -transitions in Backlaw, Perrambra, MuringOor, Koraty, Chirangara, Mudikkode, Kalligukku and Vaniampara has not yet accelerated.

The worst delay has been reported from Backpallur that the underpass was barely built, despite a few missed deadline date. Service roads collapse under heavy traffic and shops in the regions are covered with dust, residents of complaints.

Flood fear

Beyond the traffic chaos, the local people are concerned about the flood in Bodyballur in Panchayat, Nenmanikara, a flood -leaning area. Residents are afraid that the underpass project can worsen the flood.

T. Sreenath, the activist of Kerala Sashra Sahithad Parishad, said, “No appropriate and scientific studies have been carried out before starting the work of the underpass,” he says.

Sreenath warned that a special meeting of Grama Sabha was built without proper drainage of the lower transition. “If it rains heavy, the package will remain underwater.

Sreedharan Oottoly, who runs a stationery shop near the Budbal market, said, “When the rain water turns on the road, the workers shed their quarry waste with sand content on the road. When the water drys, shops and houses are covered with dust,” he says. “In the evening, we are contained with dirty. We also encounter respiratory disorders and allergies, or he says.

Nhai’s stance

NHAI Project Director Ancak Hassan insists that the work is on the road. “We have complied with the instructions of the Temporary Traffic Management Committee. Now there is no important problem. Although intermittent rain has difficulties, service routes are regularly repaired.”

Ancak says that the department hopes to complete the road works in Muringoor, Chirangara and Perrambra until December and to complete Bodyballur until February.

“Almost a Lakh vehicle passes through the daily corridor, but the construction of the four -lane highway needs to be squeezed to only 45 meters, which delays the job. We don’t even have a public business corridor in places like MuringOor. Risk risks are open.”

However, drivers refuse to buy NHAI’s assurance. “The deadline was never met”, which is a regular traveler from Kodakara.

The Supreme Court insistently insists on suspending the wage collection collection, on the NHAI to make visible progress in the road project.

Alappuzha story

Aroor-Promuravoor High Highway with six lane lanes. | Photo Loan: Special Editing

The drivers passing NH 66 in Alappuzha have a similar story to re -count. Throughout the road stretch, the vehicle movement has become a sad experience for drivers following the construction of the high highway between Thuravoor and Aroor. Traffic thieves became a regular event. Although NHAI, Thuravoor – Kumbing and Thuravoor – Makkadavu allocated funds to strengthen the paths as alternative ways, the situation has not developed much.

Thanks to the ongoing construction of the 12.75 km raised highway between Jino Joseph, Thuravoor and Aroor, who lives in Thuvoor, he leaves work an hour before normal to reach his workplace in Ernakulam.

“The thing that usually leads me to about an hour now reaches more than two hours. The exhaustion caused by traffic congestion is forcing my life, or he complains.

Another local suburban K. Praveen reflects his concerns: “Infrastructure development is important. Nevertheless, traveling on stretch has become a real struggle. Authorities should consider temporary traffic management solutions to alleviate the burden,” he says.

The roads have also become a killing area for drivers and pedestrians. Aroor-Promioor Janakeaya Samiti says that at least 28 people have lost their lives in traffic accidents since the start of the upgraded highway work. Nevertheless, the authorities remain unfazed.

The NHAI officials claim that approximately 74% (12,752 km) of the High Highway project (12,752 km) (12,752 km) were completed. “The project is expected to be completed by 30 June 2026,” he says to a NHAI official.

The scarcity of the soil affected Thuavoor-Paravoor and Paravoor-Kayamkulam-Kottankulangara Road in the region. Although the state government has allowed the use of land scanned from Lake Vembanad and Ashtamudi Lake for the development of NH, the resources complain that the famine continues.

In other parts of the region, NH expanding studies have progress, even though there are accidents and traffic cuts.

On September 16, when Kerala State Road Transport Corporation’s super -fast bus mixed the six national highway underpass in Cherthala, some of them were seriously injured. In March of this year, four concrete beams of the Alappuzha Bypass road collapsed. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the incident.

Slow Tempo in Malappuram

Four months after a part of the NH 66 highway in Cooriyad near Vengara in the Malappuram region, the situation seems calm despite the previous protests and claims about the NHAI and the employment contract.

NHAI put the company on the blacklist and promised to rebuild the damaged section with a viaduct at the expense of the contractor within four months to appease the public rage. However, the repair work seems to take longer than expected.

In order to minimize traffic deterioration, approximately 400 meters damaged set was removed and service roads were repaired within two months. However, the construction of the promised viaduct progresses slowly than expected.

Muhammad Shaju, a local businessman, is very worried about slow tempo.

“I’m sure the contractor will take a few more months to complete it despite the claim of finishing within a month.” It draws attention that the Vengara road is connected to NH in Cooriyad, often causes traffic congestion in Cooriyad.

The missed deadline means more Slush, dust, crawling traffic in the coming months. He may only hope that valuable lives will not disappear.

(Alappuzha in Malappuram and Sam Paul A.