Far from stopping with constructing a flyover at the busy Vyttila junction, the State government has proposed a second phase comprising an underpass at the junction connecting Sahodaran Ayyappan Road with the Thripunithura side.
The government will soon invite a consultancy for drawing up a detailed plan for the development of the proposed underpass. The second phase will be set in motion shortly after the launch of work of the flyover at Vyttila by Chief Mnister Pinarayi Vijayan on December 11.
The decision comes at a time when the agency entrusted with undertaking a survey of the work site and making road markings as a prelude to the launch of construction, kick started its work on Wednesday.
A high-level meeting of the officials of the Public Works Department, National Highways Authority of India and the Sate government held in Thiruvananthapuram also reviewed the measures to be taken ahead of the launch of the construction of the ₹82-crore flyover.
Hopes to submit report in 6 months
The government remains hopeful that the consultancy concerned will be able to submit a report based on a detailed study within six months, sources said. Apart from developing the proposed new underpass, the existing narrow one at Ponnurunni will be widened for facilitating smooth two-way traffic. The second phase will also involve the construction of service roads.
The proposed second phase is aimed at addressing the concerns expressed by various quarters about limiting the work to the construction of a unidirectional flyover. Critics, including people’s representatives and organisations such as the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad, had aired the opinion that a flyover alone would fall short of resolving the traffic mayhem at one of the busiest junctions along the National Highways in Kerala.
The preparatory work for the construction of the flyover was originally scheduled to get under way on November 25 but was postponed in the wake of widespread concerns over the preparedness of the city about withstanding major traffic disruptions in the wake of the work.
It didn’t help that councillors in and around Vyttila raised stiff opposition to the traffic diversion plans, which they alleged were drawn up unilaterally without consulting them.
