The State government has given sanction to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to execute the construction of the Panniyanakara rail overbridge, a vital and primary infrastructure cog in the city’s monorail project.
The bridge work, estimated to cost Rs.76.16 crore, will now be taken up as the DMRC’s “own work,” a Government Order issued recently through the Public Works Department said.
The detailed plan, tender of works, execution, supervision and handing over of the completed work to the government are now the sole responsibility of the DMRC, which will be paid fee at the rate of 6 per cent of the total cost of the work.
The corporation shall co-ordinate with the agencies concerned to “shift or modify” utilities such as water mains, sewers, electric wires, communication cables, etc, “coming in the way of the work”. Land acquisitions, demolition of structures and rehabilitation of affected people would be handled by the District Collector.
The sanction for construction of the bridge signals the first step towards realising monorail as an effective means of public transport in the city.
The monorail project, estimated at Rs.1,991 crore, is planned in two phases — from Medical College to Mananchira and from Mananchira to Meenchanda.
The monorail will have 15 stops along the 14.2-km elevated stretch from Medical College to Meenchanda in the city.
The Panniyankara bridge is among the five major railway projects meant to accelerate Kozhikode’s development. The others include the Elathur underpass, Pavangad-Puthiappa Road overbridge, Vadakkumpad underpass, and an over-bridge at the cramped Fourth Gate on P.T. Usha Road.
