The land belonging to HMT and Naval Armament Depot (NAD) required for the second phase expansion of Seaport-Airport Road has been handed over to the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation Kerala (RBDCK), the project implementation agency.

Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said that the handover had resolved the main hurdle behind the more than two-decade delay in the second phase of the project. He added that road construction in the area concerned would begin shortly.

The HMT land was required for the stretch between HMT and NAD, which is part of the second phase of Seaport-Airport Road construction. A total of 1.40 hectares in Thrikkakara North village have been handed over. The land value of ₹37.90 crore has been deposited in a nationalised bank as per the direction of the Supreme Court, which had authorised the State government to make the deposit.

Additionally, 2.46 hectares from NAD required for the road expansion project have been handed over. “The government had already allocated ₹32.26 crore, which includes ₹23.11 crore as the land value assessed by the Defence Ministry, ₹8.16 crore for widening NAD-Thorappu Road, and ₹99.43 lakh for constructing the compound wall,” said a communication.

Last month, the State government had granted administrative sanction for ₹17.31 crore for the construction of a road along HMT and NAD stretches. Tender procedures are under way. The road near HMT will be constructed with a width of 45 metres and a length of 600 metres. As the road sketch near NAD has already been prepared, follow-up measures are anticipated to proceed without delay. Tendering for the widening of the NAD-Thorappu Road would also be undertaken simultaneously, the statement said.

The tender for the NAD-Mahilalayam stretch will be issued in December. Land acquisition for the 6.50-km stretch in the area is nearing completion. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has sanctioned ₹569.34 crore for land acquisition in this region.

“Seaport-Airport Road, which spans 25.70 km between Irumpanam and Nedumbassery, plays a crucial role in easing traffic congestion in Kochi and facilitating easy access to the Kochi airport,” it said.