Melepazhavangady flyover span work comes to a halt in Thiruvananthapuram

The flyover, with a three-lane bidirectional road with full-length grade separators, the second under CRIP, is coming up across the arterial road.

Missing link: the unfinished section of the Melepazhavangady flyover on the Thakaraparambu side where work has been suspended following delay in demolishing six shops. Photo: S. Gopakumar

Work on three spans of the 425-metre-long, 12-metre-wide flyover at Melepazhavangady to link Power House and Thakaraparambu roads has stalled.

Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd. (TRDCL), the concessionaire of the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP), suspended the work following opposition from shopowners near the entrance to the Thakaraparambu road.

As many as six shops have to be demolished. TRIDA has even constructed a building to rehabilitate these shopkeepers along with others. “But, they are refusing to vacate and are blocking the work,” a senior official of the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) told The Hindu .

The flyover, with a three-lane bidirectional road with full-length grade separators, the second under CRIP, is coming up across the arterial road. The KRFB official said the work could be taken up only after demolishing the shops.

Nod awaited

The traffic police are yet to give the nod to the request to close the stretch to prevent movement of pedestrians and expedite the long-pending work.

Anil Kumar Pandala, Project Director, TRDCL, said work could be resumed only after the six shops were demolished and road was barricaded. A minimum of 140 days was needed for the three spans. “It is a pity that the authorities are not recognising that even one day lost now will affect the commissioning of the Rs.37-crore flyover in March 2015,” he said.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Kerala Water Authority’s sewerage division has approached the KRFB seeking permission to lay water and sewerage lines on the stretch, and the project officials are worried that this would delay the work.

Restriction to go

Meanwhile, the stressing of the deck slab that was concreted on October 6 is over, and de-shuttering and painting has begun. Traffic along the Overbridge-Pazhavangady road that has been restricted for taking up the work of the obligatory span will be cleared by October 31.

The entire flyover towards Power House Road will be cleared of construction material by December 15 and the road work, including footpath, on the stretch will be completed by January.