Partial opening of NH 66 at Malapparamba brings relief to commuters

NH 66 stretch at Malapparamba partially opens, easing traffic congestion with improved flow and completed infrastructure upgrades.

The National Highway (NH) 66 stretch underneath the overpass at Malapparamba was partially opened to traffic on Sunday (April 13, 2025). This comes as a major reprieve for commuters who had been facing severe traffic congestion at the Malapparamba Junction over the past few months due to road widening works. With this, the Ramanattukara–Vengalam stretch of NH 66 is mostly complete, and traffic flow has improved.

Malapparamba, being the junction of two national highways, has NH 66 running 15 metres below the overpass on NH 766 (Kozhikode to Kollegal). Traffic diversions at the junction—first for the construction of the overpass and later to facilitate excavation to a depth of 15 metres—had caused heavy congestion at the busy point. The overpass was completed within a record 100 days and was recently opened to traffic. Now, one half of the road beneath it has also been opened. The remaining half is expected to be opened by the end of the month.

All the flyovers and underpasses along the stretch have already been opened. Work on the Arappuzha bridge is progressing rapidly. Construction of the district’s only toll booth, near the Mampuzha bridge, is also under way. The toll booth will have 10 counters on each side. Signboards, traffic signals, and street lights are also being installed.

Due to the widening works on the NH, goods carriers were diverted through Meenchanda-Kallai Road-Beach Road-Kannur Road for some time, causing traffic congestion on the routes. With the Ramanattukara-Vengalam stretch of the NH now mostly open, goods carriers will return to the NH. The opening of the stretch is also expected to significantly alleviate traffic congestion within the city.