THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The 1.4 km flyover proposed to ensure the hassle free movement of over 50,000 IT professionals employed in Technopark, one of the country’s largest IT parks, is to be executed as a standalone project by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The nod for the long pending flyover was given by the Union Minister for Surface Transport and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari in September 2015 while kicking off the works of the four-laning of the NH 66 Bypass from Kazhakuttam to Karode on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The road users and the State were of the view that the flyover will be executed as part of the ongoing four-laning work.
The decision comes as the ₹140 crore needed for the flyover cannot be sourced from the ₹ 669.06 crore sanctioned for the civil works of the bypass. Although a 20 % cost esclation is permissible for the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) work, it has overshot the limit already due to the additional works taken as part of the four-laning in the 26.5 km Kazhakuttam-Mukkola stretch.
The flyover aimed to ease the entry of the IT professionals to Technopark and reduce the chaos at Kazhakuttam junction will be taken as a standalone project, a top official of the NHAI told The Hindu here. An underpass also announced by Mr. Gadkari in front of the Technopark had been shelved as it had been found not feasible.
The flyover has been proposed from near the Kazhakuttam police station along the NH 66 to the NH 66 Kazhakuttom-Karode bypass. The flyover design is being fine-tuned by the NHAI and will be unique as desired by Mr. Gadkari. “It should be on the lines of the
one in Sahar airport constructed by the L & T, and should be beautiful and eye-catching,” the Union Minister had said at the meeting.
The flyover design will also take into account the needs of the Light Metro proposed from Technocity near Pallipuram to Karamana, he added. Once the design is finalised and approved by the NHAI, bids will be floated to award the work of the flyover.
EOM/ARK
