Bypass flyover works to kick off in May

Six-lane flyovers at Vyttila and Kundanoor

The flyovers on the NH will be constructed only on one side of the road at a time to minimise traffic disruption. File Photo

A Government Order (GO) giving the go-ahead for construction of flyovers at three junctions in the Palarivattom-Kundanoor reach in NH Bypass is expected this week.

The State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to grant administrative sanction for six-lane flyovers at Vyttila and Kundanoor and a four-lane one at Palarivattom. The flyovers would together cost Rs. 282 crore and are expected to be built within a time span of 18 months from May, when the work is expected to begin.

Infopark Expressway

The Cabinet also decided to give administrative sanction to the four-lane expressway proposed by the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) that would link Chakkaraparambu (located on the Palarivattom-Vyttila Bypass) with Seaport-Airport Road and later Infopark.

“The administrative machinery is moving fast to issue a GO this week for these projects since they cannot be sanctioned once the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls takes effect. Work on the flyovers can begin within three months after seeking Election Commission’s permission,” Public Works Department (PWD) sources said. The Rs. 90-crore conventional flyover at Vyttila and the Rs. 120-crore clover leaf-shaped flyover in Kundanoor will be built by PWD (NH wing). RBDCK is awaiting the government order to begin work on the Palarivattom flyover this month.

Kalamassery flyovers

The proposal for a two-lane flyover at Kalamassery Junction and another one at the junction where the road from HMT meets NH 47 had been put on hold since they had to be integrated with Kochi Metro Rail’s alignment, said P.A. Hashim, PWD’s nodal officer for the five flyovers proposed on NH Bypass and NH 47.

Funding

The Public Works Department hopes to get funds for flyovers from the State government’s Rs. 10,000 crore Sustainable and Planned Effort to Ensure Development of Infrastructure (SPEED) programme announced a year ago.

Superintending Engineer of PWD (NH wing) Rajiv P.C. said bottlenecks in parts of Vytilla Junction would be widened alongside the work on the proposed flyover.

Traffic management

All the five flyovers would pass parallel to the NH. The flyovers will be constructed only on one side of the road at a time to minimise traffic disruption.

PWD sources said the works were entrusted to different agencies so that they would vie with one another to complete flyovers on time.