Thuravoor: It’s a distance that should take no more than 20 minutes. But now, it takes nearly two hours to cover. Along with the waste of time, commuters are also dealing with backbreaking journeys over potholes and mounting repair bills for their damaged vehicles.

This misery unfolds along the 12.75-kilometre stretch between Aroor and Thuravoor, where construction of an elevated highway is underway. The situation is particularly dire from Kodamthuruth to Aroor, where the road has become a mess of potholes and waterlogged patches.

In several places, deep craters large enough to trap vehicles have formed. Though drainage construction has begun to divert rainwater, the work remains incomplete. Contractors blame the delay on unresolved disputes with local panchayats regarding the routing of run-off water into public canals.

From Kodamthuruth to Aroor, both sides of the road remain submerged after every spell of rain. To prevent prolonged waterlogging, tanker trucks have been deployed to pump out the water. But with continuous rains, the situation reverts to its worst.

Commuters trying to avoid this stretch by using the Arookutty bridge via the Thaikkattussery–Arookutty road face the ordeal of relentless traffic jams. Vehicles heading to Kochi are forced to crawl for about 500 meters before taking a U-turn at the Aroor temple junction, a spot riddled with potholes and waterlogging of its own. For those unfamiliar with this road, falling into a pothole is almost inevitable.