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Linking gateways, driving development
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The Seaport-Airport road, on the outskirts of Kochi, has been witnessing construction activity on a major scale.
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— Photo: H. Vibhu
NEW ARTERY: Chock-a-block on the Seaport-Airport road, on the outskirts of Kochi.
The Seaport-Airport road, on the outskirts of Kochi, conceived as a major link road between the region’s two major transport hubs — the Kochi port and Cochin International Airport — has been witnessing significant construction activity. And four years after the first phase of the road project was commissioned, it has become a nerve centre of development in the region.
Builders both big and small are making a beeline for the 15 km road from HMT junction in Kalamassery to Karingachira in Thiruvankulam.
The big names in the real estate field have been operating in the area, to take advantage of the connectivity that the road provides. Realising the potential of the road, the Town Planning Department has given a concession by designating 150 metres on either side a mixed construction area. This enables residential as well as commercial buildings to come up along either side of the road.
The road, which has one end in the Kalamassery municipal limits and the other in the Thiruvankulam panchayat area, passes through the Thrikkakara panchayat area, the nerve centre of the construction boom in Ernakulam district.
As the Smart City project gets under way, the surrounding places expect unprecedented development. Besides, it also links two regions of Kochi which are fast expanding and also witnessing rapid urbanisation.
Selling points
The builders who have started their projects emphasise attractions such as its proximity to the Smart City site and accessibility to the city and other key areas.
Over the past year, the Thrikkakara panchayat has given sanction to only three apartment projects on the road, and these are yet to be executed.
However, 10 major projects and a few smaller ones had been sanctioned earlier on a 4-km stretch of the road that falls under this panchayat’s jurisdiction. Most of these had secured sanctions before the Kerala Municipal Building Rules became applicable to panchayats in November 2007.
In Thiruvankulam panchayat, on a 5-km stretch, 20 to 25 buildings are coming up on either side of the road, of which five are major ones. These had also been sanctioned before the rules came into force in the panchayats.
It is the connectivity and the width of the road that has made it a nerve centre of development, says Abdul Azeez, managing director, Skyline Builders. Across the State, wherever a National Highway stretch has witnessed improvement, development activities have taken off.
It is the infrastructure that brings in development, he says.
Good, wide roads not only help decongest traffic but also provide ample parking space. Besides, the Seaport-Airport road provides a crucial connection between places, helping commuters avoid traffic on the National Highway and the bypass.
The second phase of the road holds more potential for development of residential areas and commercial buildings.
It will actually extend the city limits up to Chottanikkara in the southeast, Maradu in the south and Pookattupady, Kangarapady and Thevakkal in the northeast.
Second phase
After the completion of the second phase, there will be a decongested wide road from Kalamassery to Nedumbassery, famous for the international airport there. In the second phase the road will extend from HMT junction to Nedumbassery.
Development will spread to rural areas only with the improvement of infrastructure.
The government has to play a major role in providing wide roads.
The wider the road, the higher the potential for development, Mr. Azeez says.
The Seaport-Airport road will realise its full potential only when the Madurai-Kochi highway becomes a reality.
Key role
Giving its proximity to the city as well as the connectivity it provides to rural areas in the district, the road has a key role to play in all-round development. B. Ajith, marketing manager of Heera Constructions, says the city is expanding and this road provides ample space for more development.
Big names from outside Kerala, such as Sahara and Puravankara, have announced major projects near the road.
With the prevailing land rates in the city, ordinary people cannot afford to buy land or houses there.
They have to move from the city and, at the same time, should be able to reach it quickly.
The Seaport-Airport road has thus become the next big destination after the National Highway bypass.
SHYAMA RAJAGOPAL
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