Kottarakkara: The 40.5-kilometre stretch of the Main Central (MC) Road cutting through the district, from Enathu to Thattathumala, is notoriously treacherous, peppered with sharp curves and deteriorating surfaces. Under normal circumstances, negotiating these hazards to cross the district boundary should take no more than an hour and 15 minutes. Yet, the moment motorists hit Kottarakkara, they inevitably grind to a screeching halt.

On the eve of holidays, traffic snarls stretch for kilometres, with drivers routinely forced to spend upwards of an hour just to move across the town. With any proposed flyover or bypass still years away from reality, long-term relief remains a distant pipe dream.

What frustrates commuters most is the authorities’ sheer reluctance to implement interim solutions. Neighbouring Venjaramoodu in Thiruvananthapuram once grappled with identical gridlocks, but decisive planning there ensured that flyover construction got underway quickly. In Kottarakkara, however, residents allege that administrative apathy is directly responsible for worsening the chaos.

Feeder Roads in Shambles
Widening and resurfacing the eight secondary roads ringing Kottarakkara town could offer immediate, much-needed breathing room. Upgrading the battered Govindamangalam and Padinjaretheruvu–Kunnakkara corridors would provide a seamless alternative route for traffic heading from Adoor toward Kizhaketheruvu.

Similarly, three link roads connecting Mylam to the Govindamangalam stretch could, if widened, allow commuters to bypass the notorious bottlenecks at Pulamon Junction altogether.

While the Ravinagar–Sub Jail Road currently serves as a makeshift parallel route, it remains impassable for heavy vehicles. Upgrading and widening this stretch would transform it into a crucial mini-bypass, funneling vehicles smoothly off the MC Road onto the National Highway towards Kollam.

A coordinated plan to widen and overhaul other neglected feeder links, including the Ravinagar–KNS Road, Boby Kottarakkara Road, Old Kollam–Shenkottai Road, Lotus Road adjacent to Mar Thoma School, Doctors Lane–Pulamon Road, and the Eeyamkunnu Driving Test Ground–College–Pulamon stretch, could finally untangle Kottarakkara's chronic traffic knot.