In the morning of 3 July this year, the Adapalli-Thrissur stretch of NH 544 looked misleading after an all-night dripping.
Cherumuku, Thrissur and the driver of the car, Vilson, eighty -year -old MP from Cherumuku, Wilson, were going home from Thiruvananthapuram in a new purchased car, when there was a disaster in Myoringoor.
Manu sent the brake of the vehicle just further after the vehicle stopped. The wet surface cheated him. The car skids, the narrow, slippery service road closed, and 10-footed in a pit filled with deep water, an interval hole that lagged behind the ongoing underpasses.
The only safety measures that were a plastic traffic cone and a rope was completely stuck on the site. Luck was on their side, and they survived. Shortly thereafter, they crawled out of the Mangald vehicle with a slight cut and injury.
A month later, the same site saw another accident. A wood -laden lori service was topped on the service road, which spreads the log across the stretch. For about 15 hours, the traffic spread to a precious line for kilometers. For thousands of people in the jam, patience was inflamed.
NH 544’s Thrissur Angmali Stretch working on Parambra’s progress photo credits: KK Najeeb
The accidents underlined by the motorists at the Thrissur-Enekulam Stretch of NH 544 have been ending for months: endless traffic jams, dusty bayrodes through which vehicles have to crawl, vehicles getting out of the road, and fear of disaster. Desperate has boiled petitions, protests and now, Kerala High Court boiled to exit the National Highway Authority (NHAI), which is implementing the road project.
On August 6, 2025, the High Court ordered the suspension of the toll collection at the Paliyekkara Plaza, blamed NHAI to fail to provide safe, motorized roads. The Supreme Court later supported the verdict. Citing the report of a trychome collector of security threats on several underpasses, the High Court extended the suspension on 25 September, repeated its stand: “There is no toll for unsafe roads.”
Question of fairness
Shaji J., Secretary, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). For Kodankandath, who moved to the High Court to suspend the toll collection, the issue is not about the inconvenience for motorists, but impartial in their approach.
“Stretch is still a witness to heavy traffic blocks. The work is moving very slowly. The work, which is planned to complete by October 2025, may take another year to complete,” they feel.
He raises a demand: “Reduce the toll by 50% until the work is completed. Why should we pay to drive on the roads? Why should internal roads be destroyed without paying the highway traffic without paying compensation? Rural internal roads are not constructed on highway standards, being damaged by huge amounts of traffic,” fums. “
The Interim Traffic Management Committee, which was created to look into the issue of traffic jams, suggested widening and repair of service roads and replaced damaged culverts to reduce traffic.
The committee led by Thrissur Collector Arjun Pandian also proposed to install street lights with internal roads and to indicate traffic diversion. Police and Motor Vehicles Department agreed to the concerns raised by the collector.
The NH 544 upgrade project included underpasses and overbridges to eliminate an accident-affected “black spot” with NH and reduce the congestion. Instead, they testify to the default time limit and public risk. The construction of the underpass in Ambalur, Perambra, Myoringoor, Koratti, Chirangara, Mudikakode, Kalliduku, and Vanimpra is yet to collect speed.
The worst delay is reported from Ambalur, where the underpass is barely half -manufactured despite the time limit of several lapses. Service roads are collapsing under heavy traffic, and shops in areas are covered in dust, complaints of residents.
Fear of flood
Beyond traffic chaos, local people worry about floods in Ambalur in Nemanikkara Panchayat in the flood-prone area. Residents fear that the underpass project may spoil the flood situation.
Kerala Sastra Saithya Parishad activist T.K. Srinath alleged, “No proper and scientific studies were done before starting the underpass work.”
Srinath says that a special meeting of the Gram Sabha warned about the possibility of flash flood as the underpass was being constructed without proper drainage. “If it receives heavy rains, Ambalur will be submerged. Now they are constructing the structure without channels to drain the water. This may worsen the situation,” they say.
“When the rainwater turns into a slush on the road, the workers dump the mines with sand material on the road. Shops and houses get coated in dust, when the water dries up,” Sreedharan Otoli says, which runs a stationery shop near Ambelur Market. “By the evening, we are involved in the Grim. We also face the issue of respiratory diseases and allergies,” they say.
Shock
Ancil Hassan, director of the NHAI project, insisted that the work is on track. He said, “We have complied with the instructions of the interim committee on traffic management. Now there are no major issues. Service roads are being repaired regularly, although there are challenges of intermittent rainfall,” they claim.
ANCIL says that the department is expecting to complete road functions in Myoringoor, Chirangara and Perambra by December, and Ambalur by February.
“Around one million vehicles pass through the corridor daily, but the construction of four-lane highways and service road is to be squeezed in just 45 meters, which is delaying the work. In places like Myoringoor, we do not even have a utility corridor. The risks are clear,” they say.
However, motor drivers refuse to buy NHAI assurance. A regular passenger from Kodakara never gets a deadline. “
The High Court is under pressure on NHAI to achieve visible progress in the road project, with the High Court emphasizes the suspension of toll collection.
Alappuzha story
Under-Construction Six-Len Are-Thuravur raised the highway. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Alappuzha has a similar story of motorists passing through NH 66. The vehicle movement with road stretch has become a rigorous experience for motorists after the construction of elevated highways between Thurvur and Arur. Traffic snarl has become a regular relationship. NHAI has not greatly improved the situation, despite allocating funds to strengthen the Thurvur -Kumbalgi and Thurvur -16 -16 Kakadu roads as alternative routes.
Jono Joseph, residents of Thurvur, leave for work an hour before normal to reach their workplace in Ernakulam on time, thanks to the ongoing construction of a 12.75 km highway between Thurvur and Arur.
He said, “Usually takes me around an hour, now exceeds two hours. The tiredness caused by traffic jams is taking a toll on my life,” he complains.
Another local commuter. Praveen echoed his concerns: “infrastructure development is important. Nevertheless, traveling on stretch has become a real struggle. The authorities must consider temporary traffic management solutions to reduce the burden,” he said.
Roads have also become a murder area for motorists and pedestrians. The Arur-Thauravur Jankeya Samiti noted that at least 28 people have lost their lives in road accidents as high highway work has started. Nevertheless, the officials are surprised.
NHAI officials claim that about 74% (9.695 km of 12.752 km) of the elevated highway project has been completed. “The project is expected to be completed by June 30, 2026,” said an NHAI official.
The lack of soil has affected Thurvur-Paravur and Parvur-Kumkulam-Kottankulangra Road Stretch in the district. Although the state government has allowed the use of dredge from Vambanad lake and Ashtamudi lake for the development of NH, sources complain that the scattering continues.
Somewhere else in the district, NH widening work is progressing, with accidents and traffic disruption.
On 16 September, more than 28 people suffered injuries, some seriously, when a superfast bus of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation reduced a construction National Highway Underpass in Cherrathala. In March this year, four concrete girders of the construction of Alappuzha bypass road collapsed. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
Slow speed in Malappuram
Four months after a part of the NH 66 highway, the situation appears quiet despite allegations and allegations of contracts honored for work and contracts for work, under construction, under construction, near Vengara in Malappuram district, near Vengara, in Kuriad.
NHAI blacklisted the firm, which implemented the work, and promised damaged section damaged with a viadock at the expense of the contractor within four months to reduce public resentment. However, the repair work is taking longer than anticipated.
To reduce traffic disintegration, approximately 400 meters of the damaged embankment was eliminated, and the service roads were repaired within two months. However, the construction of the promised Viadcts is slowly moving forward.
Local businessman Mohammad Shaju is very worried at a slow pace.
“I am sure that despite the claim of the contractor to finish it in a month, it will take a few more months to complete.” He explains that the underpass connecting Vengara Road to NH to NH often causes traffic congestion in Kuriad.
Missed deadline means that in the coming months, more slops, dust, creeping traffic. One can only hope that precious life will not be lost.
(Input from Sam Paul A in Alappuzha and Abdul Lathef Naha in Malappuram)
