Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will identify extremely narrow portions of Vyttila-Pettah road which have to be widened urgently in order to commence metro’s civil works on the stretch.
“The aim is to ensure that the metro is taken to Tripunithura (S.N. Junction) in the project’s first phase itself,” KMRL sources said, putting to rest apprehensions that Phase One would have had to be confined to Aluva-M.G. Road-Vyttila stretch.
Several portions of the three-km-long Vyttila-Pettah road are very narrow due to rampant encroachments and inordinate delay on the part of the district administration in widening the stretch to construct a four-lane road. Encroachments are also rampant on the congested Pettah-S.N. Junction stretch.
As per plan, the metro agency will identify spots on the Vyttila-Pettah stretch where metro work cannot be done without widening the road. A report on this will be handed over to the State government and funds sought so that traffic can move in either direction once barricades are installed at metro work sites.
Widening the 3-km-long road might require over Rs. 200 crore. The cost can be halved if only very narrow portions are widened for metro’s first phase that has to be completed by June 2016. Four-laning work by the Public Works Department (PWD) can be done once the State government releases additional funds. Though the government had promised Rs. 70 crore over a year ago as first instalment to widen the road, funds were not handed over to the district administration.
“We hope to get Central nod for metro’s Pettah-Tripunithura extension by the time the State government allots funds for widening narrow portions of Vyttila-Pettah Road,” metro sources said.
“Our aim is to prevent delay in taking the metro to Tripunithura. Already, a couple of agencies with proven expertise in civil works are engaged in Kochi metro works. Their services can be used to ensure that the metro reaches Tripunithura in phase one itself,” they said.
