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Linking gateways and driving development
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The Seaport-Airport road, on the outskirts of Kochi, has been witnessing construction works on a major scale.
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The Seaport-Airport road, on the outskirts of Kochi, conceived as a major link road between two gateways of the State, has come up with a lot of promise. And four years after its first phase was opened, the road has become a nerve centre of development in the region.
The big names in the real estate field have been operating in the area, after having made a beeline for it 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.
The road, in Kalamassery municipal limits at one end and in the jurisdiction of the Thiruvankulam panchayat at the other, 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 an unprecedented development. And this road, which connects HMT Junction at Kalamassery and Karingachira, on Hill Palace Road, at Thiruvankulam, has become a place of massive construction activity.
Selling points
The builders who have started their projects emphasise the 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 projects for flats on the road, and these are yet to be executed. However, there are 10 major projects and a few smaller ones on a 4-km stretch on the road. Most of these had got sanctions before the Kerala Municipal Building Rules became applicable for 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 constructions. 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 been improved well, development activities have taken off.
It is the infrastructure that brings in development, he says.
Good, wide roads not only 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 expand the extent of the city up to Chottanikkara in the southeast, Maradu in the south and Pookattupady, Kangarapady and Thevakkal in the northeast.
After the completion of the second phase, there will be a decongested wide road from Kalamassery to Nedumbassery, famous for the international airport there. 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, Mr. Azeez says. The Seaport-Airport road will realise its full potential only when the Madurai-Kochi highway becomes a reality.
Giving its proximity to the city as well as the connectivity it provides to rural areas in the district, the 15-km 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 in the city, where land is scarce.
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.
While the builders with projects in the area had announced its proximity to the upcoming Smart City, K. Lava, managing director, Skyline SFS, says it is not just those who are employed in the information technology (IT) sector who will look for a place there.
“Fifty per cent of my clients in the three towers coming up adjacent to the road in Kakkanad have nothing to do with IT. It is the wide road that is the most saleable point here. There are hardly any wide roads in Kochi,” he says.
The beauty of the place because of the geographical elevation adds to the uniqueness, he says. The road is no doubt the hottest destination and it is an advantage for the ordinary people who like to stay in a good place with security. People now prefer flats to independent houses mainly because of the security these provide, he adds.
Small projects
A number of small-time builders in the unorganised sector have tapped the potential. A drive on the road will show many projects, both big and small, coming up. It is an apt place for hospitals and other commercial places to come up.
The next five years will perhaps change the skyline of the region even further. In fact, the changes that have come up in the past four years are immense.
The land prices were low before the Kakkanad-Irimpanam bridge came.
When the connectivity came, the prices soared and now they have shot up to an unprecedented level.
SHYAMA RAJAGOPAL
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