Bund Road first phase inauguration on Friday

About 95 cents of land was acquired from three landowners for the road, the construction of which had been completed in three phases.

The first phase of the Bund Road was completed in nine months at Rs 3.5 crore. Photo: H. Vibhu

The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) has eventually completed the first phase of Bund Road, the construction of which had remained in a limbo for over more than two decades.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala is set to inaugurate the first reach of the 15-metre wide road between Shastri Nagar and K.P. Vallon Road named after the late jurist V.R. Krishna Iyer on Friday at 2.30 p.m. The one-kilometre stretch had been surfaced under the Bitumen Macadam and Bitumen Concrete (BMBC) method.

“The construction was completed in nine months at a cost of Rs. 3.5 crore shared between the State government and GCDA. Since it was a low lying area, it had to be elevated by six feet through filling. Then two layers of concrete were laid before surfacing the road,” said GCDA chairman N. Venugopal.

About 95 cents of land was acquired from three landowners for the road, the construction of which had been completed in three phases. Drainages, footpaths on both sides and culverts had been constructed. The road had been constructed with a five-year guarantee.

Mr. Venugopal said the new road would help ease traffic considerably since motorists proceeding from Thevara could reach Chilavannoor, Panampilly Nagar and beyond by avoiding the traffic-clogged SA Road and MG Road through Kasturba Nagar, Shastri Nagar, and KP Vallon road.

He said that allegations of GCDA having suffered loss in the land swap for acquisition were baseless.

“We gave land worth Rs. 1.02 crore when land valued at Rs. 1.10 crore was acquired and land worth Rs. 1.03 crore was handed over for the acquisition of land priced at Rs. 1.08 crore. We didn’t give anything in return for 38 cents acquired from a trust, Mr. Venugopal said.

GCDA had decided to complete the remaining stretch of the road for which the district collector M.G. Rajamanikam had been entrusted with acquiring 72 cents under negotiated purchase.

Steps to complete the acquisition process would be taken after Friday and the construction would be completed within six months from the date of commencement of work, Mr. Venugopal said.

Once the entire stretch of the road is completed, it would considerably improve the traffic between Chamappakkara and Thevara bypassing the busy Vytilla junction.

Hibi Eden, MLA, will preside over Friday’s function. Mayor Tony Chammany, MLAs Benny Behanan and Dominic Presentation, Mr. Rajamanikam, and councillors would attend.