The row over the railway over-bridge at Kuttappuzha on the Thiruvalla-Mallappally Road has become a hot issue with various socio-political groups and the Thiruvalla Vigilance Council accusing the authorities concerned of remaining indifferent towards the multiple traffic problems posed by an elevated approach road.
The Railways have constructed the 21-metre long, 12.5-metre wide over-bridge to replace the old bridge as part of the rail doubling work on the Kottayam-Kayamkulam route. The elevated approach road on the Thiruvalla side of the bridge would badly affect the smooth passage of vehicles to and from the Muthoor-Kuttappuzha Road and the Thiruvalla-Mallappally Road at the T-junction where both the roads meet.
Anticipating this traffic problem, the local residents’ association had earlier demanded construction of the new over-bridge, after demolishing the old bridge. However, the Railways had adopted a new alignment parallel to the old bridge following demand for the same from a section of local leaders, sidelining the caution raised against it by experts.
Kerala Youth Front State general secretary V.R. Rajesh alleged that that the local MLA, Mathew T. Thomas, too remained a mute spectator to this unscientific railway over-bridge construction.
Thiruvalla Vigilance Council president P.D. George said it was high time the Railways and the Public Works Department found a scientific solution to the issue and prevented the huge traffic problem in store at Kuttappuzha.
