The 12.51 km of roads, out of the total 18.62 km developed under the second phase of the ongoing City Road Improvement Project (CRIP) here, are to be commissioned next week.
Motorists and pedestrians, who were at the receiving end due to the work that was dragging on due to a host of problems ranging from land acquisition to cutting of trees, can now expect roads developed as per international standards with medians, signage, solar-powered traffic signals, and footpaths.
Busy junctions like Model School, Panavila, and General Hospital in these road corridors have been redesigned to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
The 2-km Kowdiar-Peroorkada, 2.75-km RR Lamp-Statue-Overbridge-Pazhavangadi, 1.46-km Attakulangara-Sreevarahom-Enchakkal, 3-km Murinjapalam-Poonthi Road-Venpalavattom-NH Bypass, 2.7-km Museum Junction-Bakery-Panavila-Model School junction, and the 600-m new alignment at Shanghumughom behind the Mermaid sculpture are the corridors that are to be officially thrown open for traffic by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy next week.
Of the 18.62 km taken up in the second phase of the CRIP by Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company (TRDCL), the concessionaire of the CRIP, 0.244-km RR Lamp-Mascot Junction-Students Centre, 1.32-km Vellayambalam- Sasthamangalam, and the 2.358-km Kowdiar Square-Pattom corridors were inaugurated during the term of the previous LDF government.
“Work pertaining to 16.437 km of the 18.62 km road has been completed in the second phase,” an official of TRDCL said. Solar-powered signals are to be installed at Attakulangara, Model School, Enchakkal, and Venpalavattom Junctions soon. “The delay in shifting the flag-posts of political parties is the hindrance in setting up the signal at Attakulangara. At Venpalavattom, TRDCL is to install the signal after consultations with the National Highway authorities,” he added.
The remaining work in second phase to be completed are the 623-m stretch extending from Pazhavangadi to Attakulangara, 600-m Peroorkada-Vazhayila stretch and the 500-m Road Over Bridge across the Ernakulam-Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram railway line at Pettah.
TRDCL had skipped work on the Pazhavangadi-Attakulangara stretch as the shops behind the city bus stand had not been shifted.
The official said the shops at East Fort had to be shifted as the drains on the stretch also needed to be strengthened as part of road development and to check flooding.
A total of 41.95 km road had been developed under CRIP with 14.26 km in the first phase, 18.62 in the second phase, and 9.06 km in the final phase. The remaining work, except the construction of the Melepazhavangady flyover across the arterial road, is scheduled for completion before the onset of the monsoon.
