Shifting of the median at East Fort, the hub of bus operations in the capital city, has started in full swing with the profile correction of the busy corridor.
The median is being shifted to regulate KSRTC and private buses and to ensure smooth flow of vehicles and hassle-free movement of pedestrians.
Braving the inclement weather, Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd. (TRDCL), the concessionaire of the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP), has managed to raise the road on the side of the carriageway.
The road is being raised on an average by four to 40 cm on the Gandhi Park side and up to 25 cm on the other side to prevent flooding of the Pazhavangady junction.
“We hope to complete profile correction in 10 days and shifting of median by mid-December,” Managing Director, TRDCL, Anilkumar Pandala told The Hindu .
At present, the median in the existing 29-metre wide carriageway has been erected at 13.5 metres. It will be shifted to the 16-metre point to carve out 2.5 to three metres to accommodate two rows of buses.
A bus bay will be constructed to accommodate 15 buses. A two-lane 7.5-metre carriageway, with a two-metre-wide waiting area, will be created. There will only be a single entry and exit, and through this the haphazard parking of the buses can be avoided.
“We will monitor the situation and take corrective steps. If needed, the parking of buses will be reduced and multiple entries will be made to the bus bays,” Mr. Pandala added.
The shifting of the median is a temporary measure ahead of the relocation of the 30 shops situated close to the Fort wall, the widening of the Pazhavangady-East Fort-Attakulangara stretch, and its reconstruction to accommodate six-lane traffic as per the CRIP.
Interim plan
The interim plan was worked out under the initiative of District Collector Biju Prabhakar following the death of six persons and delay in taking up widening works.
The TRDCL Managing Director said he was anticipating queuing up of the buses to enter the bus bay and flooding of the temple premises.
A permanent solution, he said, was restoration of the cross drain, from Pazhavangady to Thekkanamkara drainage canal. The 240-metre drain can be taken up only after the shops lining the Fort wall are relocated.
