Key facts
- NH 544 is a 340 km national highway from Salem to Edappally in Kochi; it was numbered NH 47 until the 2010 renumbering (Wikipedia).
- Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the Kochi Metro on 13 September 2012, and construction began on 7 June 2013 (Wikipedia).
- The first U-shaped metro girder, cast at the Metro Casting Yard at Kalamassery, was installed at Pulinchode near Aluva on 12 July 2014 (Wikipedia).
- The 433-metre Edappally flyover, built under a 22 July 2013 agreement between KMRL and the PWD, was inaugurated on 11 September 2016; Wikipedia gives a total spend of ₹178 crore including land.
- The first metro stretch from Aluva to Palarivattom, running above NH 544 through Kalamassery, was opened on 17 June 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
From NH 47 to NH 544
For decades the road through Kalamassery was NH 47, the Salem–Coimbatore–Palakkad–Thrissur–Kochi highway, which met the coastal NH 17 at Edappally. In the 2010 renumbering of India's national highways the Salem–Kochi road became NH 544 and the coastal road NH 66, according to Wikipedia; Edappally Junction is where the two meet. Wikipedia gives NH 544's length as 340 km. Many shop signs and older documents around Kalamassery still say 'NH 47'.
The highway also meets NH 966A at Kalamassery, the 17 km four-lane link to the Vallarpadam container terminal, which gives the town its heavy lorry traffic. For how the stretch works today, see our NH 544 Kalamassery stretch guide and the Kalamassery metro station guide.
Timeline
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | National highways renumbered; NH 47 becomes NH 544 and NH 17 becomes NH 66 | Wikipedia |
| 13 September 2012 | Foundation stone of Kochi Metro laid by PM Manmohan Singh | Wikipedia |
| April 2013 | L&T awarded the viaduct and six stations on the Kalamassery–Stadium stretch, at about ₹400 crore | Wikipedia |
| 7 June 2013 | Metro construction begins with piling near Changampuzha Park | Wikipedia |
| 22 July 2013 | KMRL and PWD sign agreement for a ₹108 crore flyover at Edappally | Wikipedia |
| 12 July 2014 | First U-girder, cast at the Kalamassery casting yard, installed at Pulinchode | Wikipedia |
| 27 February 2016 | First metro test run on a 1 km stretch between Muttom yard and Kalamassery | Wikipedia |
| 11 September 2016 | Edappally flyover inaugurated by minister C. Raveendranath | Wikipedia |
| 17 June 2017 | Aluva–Palarivattom metro stretch opened by PM Narendra Modi | Wikipedia |
| 16–17 August 2018 | Metro briefly closed and road and rail links between Aluva and Ernakulam disrupted in the floods | Wikipedia; Deccan Chronicle |
Pillars down the middle, 2013–2017
Kochi Metro's Line 1 was designed to run on a viaduct above the median of NH 544 between Aluva and Edappally. Construction began on 7 June 2013. Wikipedia records that L&T won the contract for the viaduct and six stations on the Kalamassery–Stadium stretch in April 2013, and that the U-shaped girders for the line were cast at a Metro Casting Yard at Kalamassery. The first of them was lifted into place at Pulinchode near Aluva in the early hours of 12 July 2014, after being moved overnight on special trailers.
For the people of Kalamassery this meant about four years of barricades along the highway. Before work began, KMRL said an 11.4 km stretch of NH 47 between Edappally and Aluva would be affected, and that the National Highways Authority of India had given in-principle approval for building on it, according to Infrastructure Today. The same report described a plan to widen the road by about five metres using existing land on either side while about eight metres in the centre were fenced off for the viaduct. We could not find a dated record of when that widening was completed, so we do not give one.
The first test run took place on 27 February 2016, on a 1 km section between the Muttom depot and Kalamassery at up to 10 km/h. The line opened on 17 June 2017 (see the metro reaches Kalamassery). KMRL put a vertical garden on every sixth pillar, which is why the median through Kalamassery is green in places.
The Edappally flyover
Edappally, where NH 544 ends, was described by Deccan Chronicle as a narrow and ill-planned junction where the two national highways met. A parliamentary answer noted that flyover plans for Edappally and Vyttila had been held up because the metro alignment cut across them. The solution was a flyover built as part of the metro's preparatory works: KMRL and the state PWD signed an agreement on 22 July 2013 for a ₹108 crore structure. Education minister C. Raveendranath inaugurated the 433-metre flyover on 11 September 2016. Wikipedia puts the total spend, including land, at ₹178 crore; a Deccan Chronicle report in January 2016 had given ₹140 crore including land acquisition and preparatory works. The figures differ, and we give both.
Costs quoted for public works vary depending on whether land, utilities and preparatory works are counted. Treat any single figure as approximate.
Floods and the road since
In August 2018 the Periyar flood cut Aluva off; Deccan Chronicle's headlines on 17 August spoke of metro, train and bus services disrupted between Ernakulam and Aluva, and Wikipedia records that the metro closed briefly on 16 August before offering free rides (see our 2018 flood archive). Since then, the main changes to traffic through Kalamassery have come from the metro feeder buses and the slow progress of the Seaport–Airport Road, meant to give an alternative route east of the highway.
Why this history matters near the NAD signal
The NAD Road signal sits on the inland side of town, and residents reach NH 544 and the metro above it along NAD Road or through Premier Junction for most trips south to Edappally and Ernakulam. Ashraf Gents Hostel, a men's hostel/PG at Ashraf house on NAD Road, quotes monthly and nightly rates on +91 90746 23855. For more on how the town changed, see the Kalamassery history archive.
Frequently asked questions
Is NH 47 the same as NH 544?
Yes. The Salem–Kochi highway was numbered NH 47 until the 2010 renumbering, when it became NH 544.
When were the metro pillars built on the highway through Kalamassery?
Metro construction began on 7 June 2013 and the Aluva–Palarivattom stretch opened on 17 June 2017.
When did the Edappally flyover open?
It was inaugurated on 11 September 2016. It is 433 metres long.
Was NH 544 widened for the metro?
A plan to widen the Aluva–Edappally stretch by about five metres while the centre was fenced off for the viaduct was reported, but we found no dated record of its completion.
Where were the metro girders made?
The U-shaped girders were cast at a Metro Casting Yard at Kalamassery, according to Wikipedia.
Related guides
Sources
- Wikipedia: National Highway 544 (India)
- Wikipedia: Kochi Metro
- Wikipedia: Edappally Junction
- Infrastructure Today: Aluva–Edapally stretch highway in Kochi to be widened
- Deccan Chronicle: Edapally flyover by April (January 2016)
- Wikipedia: 2018 Kerala floods
Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed . How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.
Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “NH 544 through Kalamassery: Widening, Flyovers and Metro Pillars.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/nh-544-widening-kalamassery-history/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.