Lack of key facilities makes NH stretch accident-prone; Maradu municipality steps in with solutions

Kochi: The key stretch on the Kochi-Theni national highway (NH-85) from Kundannoor Junction to Petta has turned into a “death trap” for pedestrians. Plagued by rising fatalities and a total absence of walking infrastructure, the narrow heavily congested two-lane road has become a flashpoint of a growing dispute between Maradu municipality and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).The bone of contention is the lack of proper edges for the narrow, unlit road with heavy commercial traffic, including fast-moving container lorries and tipper trucks. This has increased pedestrian accidents on the stretch with Maradu muncipality stating that there are 10-20 accidents a month on an average, some of them critical.Frustrated by the rising accidents, mostly involving pedestrians and two-wheelers, Maradu municipality has written to the NHAI, requesting a nod to step in and rectify the dangerous infrastructure flaw.“The accidents involving pedestrians and two-wheelers have risen of late. Now an average 10-20 accidents are happening in a month. Unlike the normal national highways, this heavily congested section is only two-lane with no service roads or footpaths,” said municipality chairperson Ajitha Nandakumar.In its letter, the municipality offered a straightforward solution to the bureaucratic deadlock – local authorities will fund and carry out the construction of the footpaths themselves if the central agency grants permission.“The NHAI authorities are yet to give the nod,” the chairperson added.The municipality also requested NHAI permission to clean up the space beneath the Kundannoor flyover, where illegal parking has turned into a major issue, and transform it into a secure mini-park for public use.“Currently, the large space beneath the flyover is used for illegal parking of vehicles. We’re ready to construct a mini-park modelled on the successful one done in Kollam NH section,” Ajitha said.The pedestrian crisis is worsened by a complete lack of security and traffic management infrastructure. According to Maradu police, investigating hit-and-run incidents or pedestrian accidents on the stretch has become exceedingly difficult due to a total absence of public CCTV surveillance cameras, even at the major Kundannoor Junction intersection.Furthermore, at the Petta end of the stretch, the traffic flow remains completely chaotic. Despite formal proposals from the Kochi Traffic Police to install a functional traffic signal system at Petta Junction to give pedestrians a safe window to cross, the intersection continues to operate without one.Residents point out that the pedestrian nightmare is the result of long-term planning failures. Tripunithura Rajanagari Unions of Residents Association convener V C Jayendran noted that while ongoing NH 85 widening and drainage works were carried out up to Mamala from Neriamngalam, the critical Kundannoor-Petta bottleneck was left completely untouched.“The NH section from Mamala (near Thiruvankulam) to Kundannoor doesn’t have the usual highway standards or utilities. Originally, a bypass was planned from Mattakuzhy (near Puthencruz) to Kundannoor. The present stretch has been upgraded to highway as a temporary measure, but the bypass project never materialized,” Jayendran said.“Even under the current works relating to upgradation of the NH 85 – the road widening, drainage construction and curve straightening activities – are carried out only until Mamala. The section from Mamala to Kundannoor is still waiting for development,” he said.Underdeveloped stretch: Kundannoor to Mamala (9.3km)Stretch having no footpath: Kundannoor to Petta (4km)Initial proposed bypass project: Mattakuzhy to Kundannoor (13km)New bypass project undertaken: Angamaly-Kundanoor-Aroor (47km)