The bell-mouth of junctions on either end of the Vytilla-Pettah Road will have a width of 30-metres or more, when the road is widened to four lane.
But the possibility of reducing the road’s width to 26 metres would be looked into at three places where land owners have staunchly opposed the road’s 30-metre width, it was decided in principle, following an inspection of the stretch done by District Collector P. I. Sheikh Pareed on Thursday.
The two main junctions need a wide bell-mouth. The Pettah Junction needs a width of at least 30 metres, because of the right-angled turn there.
The bell-mouth at Vytilla Junction needs a width of over 30 metres because of the large number of vehicles that converge here from different directions, said Hashim P. A., PWD executive engineer who was a member of the inspection team.
Mr Pareed visited the three places where the width might have to be reduced to 26 metres and probed the alternatives to ensure smooth traffic flow.
“Parking will have to be banned at places where the width tapers down to 26 metres. The road width will be 30 metres at places where bus bays have been proposed,” he said.
The PWD insisted on acquiring land at 30 metre width since 3 metres will have to be set apart in the median at U-turns for refuge lane, where vehicles can wait to turn right without holding up traffic along the fast track. The U-turns will be given only near major link road roads.
Mr Hashim added that the bridge at Champakkara will be pulled down once a new four-lane bridge is built.
“The entire width of the acquired land will be made use of and there will be no oxbow land. Care has been taken to ensure that buildings are least affected while widening the road. The technical concerns raised by the KSEB while acquiring the agency’s land at Vytilla will be sorted out at the State Government level.”
On the proposal to widen the Link Road that passes nearby KSEB land and provides connectivity to the NH Bypass, he said that the road will be widened into two-lane as part of the Vytilla-Pettah road-widening work.
This will help vehicles to turn towards the bypass even before they reach Vytilla Junction.
