The ongoing works to trim three traffic islands at Edappally Junction to pave way for smoother vehicle flow will be completed by the end of this week.
This will create two new lanes on the junction’s northern and southern sides. The modification works on the southern side – on the Edappally-Vyttila road- is expected to considerably decongest the traffic at the junction. Following this, an island on the northern side will be trimmed and two free-left turns widened.
The work to widen the free-left turn on the junction’s south-western side for a distance of about 350 metres will be taken up after the islands are modified.
A good share of the width of the service road is now being used to park vehicles and the PWD intends to add a few metres of the road to the free-left turn.
Following constant traffic snarls at all four directions after the opening of Lulu Mall, the District Administration had entrusted the PWD (roads wing) with the task of widening the junction’s bell mouths and trimming the islands. These are being done without acquiring even a cent of unused land left by the National Highways’ Authority of India. Sources associated with the ongoing works said the junction should have been widened years ago, foreseeing huge traffic blocks.
On the PWD’s delay in finishing the work on the Parutheli Palam-Marottichodu stretch, an official in the agency said the levelling and tar coating work will be done in another fortnight.
