Thu Apr 03 15:42:35 UTC 2025: ## Thripunithura Bypass Project Gets New Life After Decades of Inertia

**KOCHI, April 3, 2025** – After a three-decade delay, the Thripunithura bypass project in Kochi is poised for revival. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has tasked a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) board member with assessing the feasibility of the long-stalled corridor.

The decision follows intervention by MP Francis George, who highlighted the project’s inordinate delay and the hardship faced by 286 landowners whose properties have been frozen for over 30 years. These landowners have been unable to develop their land, sell it, or use it as collateral for loans.

Initially planned by the Public Works Department (PWD), the bypass aimed to alleviate traffic congestion in Thripunithura, a major commuter route to Idukki and Kottayam districts. However, the project stalled due to bureaucratic hurdles and disagreements over land acquisition costs. While land acquisition began decades ago under the V.P. Singh government, only 4.40 hectares out of the required 16 hectares have been acquired to date, covering a mere 3.75 km stretch.

Mr. George suggested leveraging the alignment of two nearby greenfield national highway corridors by constructing a spur road as a bypass alternative. Following pressure from landowners, residents’ associations, and NGOs, the PWD had previously urged either the NHAI or MoRTH to construct a two-lane bypass, citing the MoRTH’s initial role in launching the project and the unapproved revised land acquisition cost.

The MoRTH’s latest move offers renewed hope for a solution to the long-standing traffic problem and the plight of affected landowners. The feasibility study will determine the project’s future course.

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