Nettoor Junction on the Vyttila-Aroor NH bypass may get a cloverleaf flyover instead of the trumpet flyover previously considered. The junction is where at least four national highway corridors converge: NH 544 (Kochi Bypass), NH 966-B (Greenfield), and NH 66.

Union Minister Nithin Gadkari confirmed alignment options include a cloverleaf intersection at Nettoor. The final decision will be based on the detailed project report (DPR) for the 16-km Edappally-Aroor bypass, the busiest NH stretch in Kerala carrying over one lakh passenger car units daily. The decision requires consultation with the Navy and Cochin Port Authority (CPA) and must align with PM Gati Shakti National Masterplan.

The proposed NH 966-B is a four-lane port connectivity national highway in the Nettoor-CIFT Junction corridor, approximately 6 km long. The CPA sought alignment changes at Willingdon Island entrance, requiring approximately ₹100 crore additional expense for the 2.20-km reroute near CIFT Junction. NHLML and NHAI agreed provided the CPA covered this cost.

A Kerala government order dated September 28 approved changes to Kochi Metro Rail Limited’s Water Metro network. The 2021 Detailed Project Report planned 38 terminals on 15 routes; six deletions reduce the count to 32, and the new Nettoor terminal brings it to 33.

The dropped terminals are Aster, Amritha, Kothad, Thevara, Cheriyamthuruth and Mulavkad Panchayat. Reasons include navigational and operational constraints, unavailable land, proposed bridges and low patronage. Thevara’s removal raises concerns about direct connections from western islands, including Kumbalam and Edakochi, to mainland Ernakulam.

Nettoor is planned on the Edakochi-Kumbalam-Nettoor-Thykkudam-Vyttila corridor as a feeder for Kakkanad-Infopark commuters and to help ease NH-66 congestion. Land has been acquired; no CRZ clearance or additional state liability is required. Construction must remain within the approved allocation. KMRL must amend the DPR and says suburban expansion plans will not be affected.

National highway construction is shifting Kochi’s real estate activity towards Maradu, Kundanoor, Madavana and Koonammavu, where land costs around ₹7–10 lakh per cent, compared with ₹25–40 lakh in Kochi city and Kakkanad. Buyers are seeking 3–5-cent plots, often with a small house, for under ₹1 crore. Kerala Real Estate Agents Association (KERKA) says properties within 5km of major highway projects have gained 25–30% over city averages. At Nettoor and Madavana, highway-side land rose to ₹7–10 lakh per cent from ₹5 lakh a year ago. Commercial demand remains steady overall, but some overpriced city-centre areas are cooling. Kochi’s RBI House Price Index fell 2.3% in Q4 FY25, against a 3.1% nationwide rise. Businesses are moving towards highway-adjacent areas and IT corridors; new commercial establishments have opened along the NH bypass.

The curved 714.70-metre bridge will run from Thevara Ferry to a landing beside the Kumbalam Water Metro terminal, crossing Kumbalam kayal on 23 pillars. It is expected to reduce the Kumbalam-Thevara distance by nearly 10km and save half an hour. Residents of Kumbalam, Aroor, Nettoor and Thevara will be able to avoid city traffic; Kumbalam residents currently travel 16–18km via the busy Aroor-Edappally stretch of NH 66 and four traffic signals to reach Kochi.

The project, implemented by the PWD Bridges Section, received a ₹97.45 crore KIIFB approval in 2016 but stalled over Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) concerns about navigation on National Waterway 3. The alignment was changed five times and the design six times. IWAI’s regional office forwarded its NOC recommendation to headquarters in Noida three weeks ago, with approval expected within a week. A rapid Social Impact Study has begun for Coastal Regulation Zone clearance. Surveys for acquisition of around 30 cents are complete; a 19(1) notification is next, followed by a cost estimate for KIIFB. Tendering can then begin. The original plan envisaged completion within 36 months.