22-year wait ends: Tender invited to fix 'missing links' on Kochi's Seaport-Airport Road phase 2

Kochi: Bringing an end to over two decades of uncertainty, the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) has finally invited tenders for the construction of the long-stalled Phase 2 "missing links" of the Seaport-Airport Road, which could play a major role in decongesting Kochi's city roads. The move marks a historic breakthrough for one of Kochi's most critical infrastructure projects, which had been effectively paralysed since 2003 due to complex land disputes with central government entities.

Industries Minister P Rajeev took to social media to announce the milestone, sharing the government's relief at finally clearing the hurdles that kept the road in limbo. "Through continuous interventions, we have secured the land from HMT and NAD, allowing the government to move to the tender stage very quickly," Rajeev said in a Facebook post.

The project, originally envisioned to connect the Cochin Port directly to Kochi international airport, had earned the unfortunate moniker of a "road to nowhere" after construction stalled at the HMT and Naval Armament Depot (NAD) boundaries. 

To resolve this, the state government paid ₹37.90 crore for the HMT land following Supreme Court directives, and ₹23.11 crore for the NAD land as valued by the Ministry of Defence, according to the Minister's statement.

With the land now formally handed over, the new tender invites bids for the "Balance Work" of Phase 2. This contract, estimated at ₹17.22 crores, is specifically designed to stitch together the disconnected 2.7 km corridor between HMT and the NAD area.

The scope of work reveals why this is more than just a simple road surfacing job. The construction covers two distinct segments: a 600-meter stretch at the HMT end and a 300-meter stretch at the NAD end.

The HMT section requires careful engineering to navigate a BPCL pipeline crossing, with the tender mandating that construction strictly follow proposals forwarded by the petroleum company to ensure safety . Meanwhile, the NAD stretch presents significant geotechnical challenges. The soil in this area has a "very low N-value", indicating instability, which will require the contractor to install sand piles to prevent the road from sinking. To manage the uneven terrain, high embankments ranging from 4.5 to 7.5 meters will be constructed. These embankments will be supported by toe walls to ensure the structure fits within the available land width.

Once these critical gaps are paved, the Seaport-Airport Road will fulfil its original 1990s vision: a seamless 25.7 km corridor bypassing the congested NH-544 (Salem-Kochi Highway). The first phase stretches from Karingachira near Irumbanam to Kalamassery (11.3 km), and the second phase extends through the newly connected HMT-NAD stretch to Mahilalayam and Chowara, finally terminating at Nedumbassery (14.4 km).

The completion of this phase will provide immediate relief to commuters and freight movers, significantly cutting travel time between the industrial belt at Kalamassery and the airport.

The tender process is currently live, with bid submissions closing on February 12, 2026. The selected contractor will be given a timeline of 12 months to complete the work, raising hopes that the fully connected corridor could be operational by early 2027.