NHAI sets deadline to complete redevelopment of Kochi-Munnar NH 85 corridor

On completion, the redeveloped NH 85 corridor will have a design speed of 80 kmph. | Photo Credit: file photo

With 50% of the work to redevelop the 124-km Kochi–Munnar NH 85 corridor completed, the NHAI has set March 2026 as the deadline to finish the ₹910-crore project.

“Resurfacing has been completed on around 100 km of the total 124 km being redeveloped/upgraded as a corridor with a 10-metre-wide tarred carriageway. As part of the project, sharp curves, including hairpin bends, are being substantially widened. This work has been temporarily halted due to heavy rainfall,” official sources said.

The redevelopment work also entailed the construction of retention walls to provide additional reinforcement to roads, while breast walls were being built to reinforce vulnerable and hilly structures located on the other side of the road. “The two types of walls cover a total of 50 km of the road that passes through hilly terrain and are aimed at preventing landslips that used to occur on the stretch. Of the total length of the NH, 12 km passes through forest areas,” they added.

On completion by March 2026, the redeveloped NH 85 corridor will have a design speed of 80 kmph, thanks primarily to the increase in the width of the tarred carriageway from seven metres to 10 metres. This will enable faster movement of vehicles in both directions. In addition, encroachments have been removed from either side of the corridor that begins at Kundannoor Junction in Kochi and ends at Munnar, while a bridge is being built at Neriamangalam, it is learnt.

On concerns about the delay in widening and resurfacing damaged parts of the NH corridor at Maradu and a few places in the city suburbs, sources said this was being attended to, while paver blocks were being laid wherever needed.

The project was initially expected to be completed by June 2025, aiming to help motorists travelling to Munnar and other locales en route save considerable travel time. Delay in widening a few forest areas was among the reasons attributed to the deadline being extended to March 2026. Drains and culverts were also widened or newly constructed, as inadequate drainage was causing potholes and undulations on the carriageway surface, slowing down vehicles and often causing accidents.

The NHAI is also installing streetlights along 60 km of busy sections of the road. The upgraded highway will have a five-year defect liability period, during which the contractor will be responsible for its upkeep.

A 151-km six-lane greenfield NH planned along the Kochi-Munnar-Theni stretch as a long-term project is awaiting approval from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, it is learnt.

Published - June 01, 2025 10:00 pm IST