The Pettah-Anayara-Oruvathilkotta road corridor in Thiruvananthapuram is expected to open to traffic by the end of November after land acquisition disputes, drainage problems and underground utility shifting delayed the project for several months, according to the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB).
The nearly 4-km upgrade is being implemented under the supervision of the KRFB’s project management unit and executed by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society. Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) is funding the project, whose estimated cost is Rs 143.6 crore.
The project covers two sections: a 2.5-km stretch from the Pettah railway overbridge to Anayara and a 1.4-km stretch from Anayara to Oruvathilkotta. Work had been repeatedly interrupted over the past two years because of legal disputes related to land acquisition, drainage-related issues and the shifting of two transformers. The project had earlier been targeted for completion by December 2025.
With the major hurdles cleared, work has resumed across the remaining stretches. Bituminous macadam surfacing has been completed on the Pettah-Anayara section, while the macadam layer is still pending on nearly 200 metres of the Anayara-Oruvathilkotta section, officials said.
The entire carriageway will receive final bituminous concrete surfacing. Footpath tiling is also progressing alongside the roadwork. A KRFB official said the remaining macadam work and final surfacing would be taken up in phases, with the agency targeting the opening of the entire stretch by the end of November.
The upgrade includes road widening, drainage improvements, footpaths and other supporting infrastructure. The existing road varies between 8 metres and 10 metres in width. A social impact assessment by the Institution of Rural Development identified the need to ease traffic bottlenecks along the corridor, where rising traffic has placed pressure on the existing carriageway.
The completed road is expected to provide a wider route and improve traffic movement between Pettah, Anayara and Oruvathilkotta. The project is also intended to improve pedestrian conditions and support economic activity along the corridor, although the final benefits will depend on completion of the associated drainage, footpath and surfacing works.
Public transport infrastructure is part of the plan. Eleven bus shelters are proposed along the Pettah-Anayara stretch, while two shelters are planned on the Anayara-Oruvathilkotta section. Utility relocation has been estimated at Rs 3.3 crore for water pipelines and Rs 9.4 crore for sewer lines.
The immediate work programme is focused on completing the remaining macadam layer, final bituminous concrete surfacing, footpath tiling and related works before the revised November-end opening target.
