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Kochi Bypass
Kochi Bypass
	Kochi Bypass near Vyttila
Route information
Length	17 km (11 mi)
Existed	1980s–present
Major junctions
From	Edapally
To	Aroor
Location
Country	India
Highway system
	Roads in India; Expressways; National; State; Asian;

The Kochi Bypass is a segment of National Highway 66 that bypasses the CBD of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The highway stretches 17 km from Edapally in the Ernakulam district to Aroor in Alappuzha district, via Palarivattom, Vyttila, Kundannoor, Madavana and Kumbalam. The Government of Kerala began the preliminary works in 1973.^[1] After a slow progress, it was partially opened for traffic in the beginning years of the 1980s. The section between Edapally and Vyttila had four lanes from the beginning. The rest of the carriageway was also upgraded to different sections of 4 lane, 5 lane and 6 lanes by 2010.^[2]

Initially conceived as an idea to bypass the truck traffic out of the city, the city has now outgrown the bypass leading to a heavy suburban traffic. Today, this road has turned out to be the most important arterial road in Kochi. The spacious road is going to replace the MG Road as the state's major commercial avenue in a few years time. Space crunch has really started to take a toll on the MG Road, and the NH Bypass provides answer to all the problems faced by the former. Bypass Road has enough width to make the entire stretch into 6 lane with service roads and a median. This 17-km stretch of road running across the city has become the hub of business for the city. This road Edapally - Aroor bypass is expected to slowly overtake MG road as the commercial hotspot of Kochi City and also Kerala state.

The S.A. Road & Kaniyampuzha Road connects the stretch with Vyttila Mobility Hub (said to be the biggest & most important transport hub of Kochi and one of the largest bus terminals in India).

Congested roads

According to a survey conducted in 2016, Edappally-Aroor National Highway stretch carries over 77,000 passenger car units daily. An elevated four-lane corridor is being planned on the Bypass to accommodate the ever-increasing number of vehicles. A detailed project report (DPR) is being readied on how to decongest the stretch which carries over 77,000 passenger car units (PCUs) daily. Over one lakh PCUs cross junctions on the corridor. All this calls for an eight-lane highway. Widening the existing four-lane stretch is a tough proposition since both sides of the 16-km-long stretch are heavily built up. An ideal way according to N.H.A.I to decongest the ever-busy stretch that carries inter and intra-State vehicles, which include national permit, container, tipper and tanker lorries, is to build a four-lane elevated highway. The cost per km will come to around ₹120 crore. The NHAI has proposed to take a final decision after Feedback Infra Private Limited submits its DPR shortly on developing the stretch.

Junctions

Edappally Junction (Towards Kaloor, Kalamassery and Cheranallur)
Palarivattom Junction (Towards Kakkanad and Kaloor)
Vytilla Junction (Towards Kadavanthra and Tripunithura)
Kundannoor Junction (Towards Maradu and Thevara)
Madavana Junction (Towards Panangad and Nettoor)
Aroor Junction (Towards Aroor, Alleppey and Edakochi)

Educational institute

Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Panangad, Kochi

Shopping malls

LuLu Mall, Kochi
Oberon Mall, Kochi
Gold Souk Grande, Kochi
Grand Mall, Kochi
Prestige TMS Square, Kochi
Forum Thomson Mall, Kundannur

Major hotels

Marriott, Edappally, Kochi
Holiday Inn, Vennala, Kochi
Crowne Plaza, Kundannoor, Kochi
Le Méridien, Kundannoor, Kochi
Hotel White Fort, Maradu, Kochi
Starlit Suites, Maradu, Kochi

Automobile showrooms

Since late 2012 this stretch is widely being recognized for large number of vehicle showrooms being opened in the entire stretch.

Audi
Volkswagen
BMW
Porsche
Toyota
Mercedes-Benz
Honda
Mahindra
Hyundai
Ford
Tata Motors
Jaguar
Isuzu Motors
Land Rover
Volvo
Chevrolet
Maruti Suzuki
Skoda
Nexa
Ashok Leyland
Piaggio
Renault
Fiat
Mitsubishi
Nissan
Datsun
Aprilia Motorcycles
KTM Motorcycles
Harley Davidson Motorcycles
Triumph Motorcycles
Royal Enfield Motorcycles
Ducati Motorcycles
Bajaj Motorcycles
Yamaha Motorcycles
Suzuki Motorcycles
Hero Motorcycles

References

^ Kerala Legislature (1974). Proceedings of the Kerala Legislative Assembly Eighth Session, 1973. Govt of Kerala. p. 2023.
^ "Four-lane bypass along NH to be ready soon". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 13 November 2010. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2010.