Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the commencement of work on the 700-metre-long, six-lane Vyttila flyover at the junction at 11.30 a.m. on Monday.
The flyover is expected to be ready by May 2019. Minister for Public Works G. Sudhakaran; Minister for Finance T.M. Thomas Isaac, and Mayor Soumini Jain; K.V. Thomas, MP; P.T. Thomas, MLA, and PWD Secretary Kamala Vardhana Rao will be present. Sources said traffic diversion would be effected later after road medians were removed. Even as plans are afoot to divert heavy goods vehicles from HMT Junction through Seaport-Airport Road, the narrow junctions in the corridor are likely to witness severe traffic snarls. Land acquired for the purpose many years ago is lying idle. The RBDCK reportedly has insufficient funds for the purpose.
Similarly, diverting heavy goods vehicles from Aroor through Edakochi, Palluruthy, and Thopumpady too is expected to worsen snarls on the stretch since roads there are narrow and heavily-encroached upon.
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The extremely narrow underpass of Vyttila bridge, through which buses and other vehicles would be diverted too is very narrow. Heavy vehicles can use the stretch only if an alternative, wider underpass is developed nearer to the railway lines beneath the bridge. The Subhash Bose Road too will have to be extended eastward from beneath the Ponnurunni bridge, to ensure smooth flow of vehicles, official sources said.
RBDCK, which is in the final stage of awarding the tender for the flyover at Kundanoor, is expected to begin work in January and complete it in two years.