The Palarivattom-Kaloor stretch is set to be widened to 24 metres with the district administration readying plans to acquire land.
Apart from facilitating Kochi metro works, acquiring an average of six-metre-wide portions on each side will decongest the narrow corridor where traffic snarls are the norm. Metro’s barricades have further narrowed down the stretch, choking traffic flow.
Soma Constructions – the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s contractor engaged in civil works — has been having a tough time within the barricaded portion because moving out barricades will further choke traffic.
“The average width (including tarred road, footpath and drain) in the reach now is only 8.5 metres.
“Parking and encroachments further reduce the width. Once land is acquired, the stretch will become a four-lane road, with some space left for parking,” metro sources said.
A senior Revenue official said survey for land acquisition was over and most shop owners were willing to surrender land.
“The compensation package is Rs. 27 lakh per cent of land. In addition, owners of shops that will be fully acquired will be given Rs. 8 lakh and tenants Rs. 6.30 lakh. The value of demolished portion will be given to owners whose shops were partially taken over and those who had encroached into ‘puramboke’ land.”
Apart from Kaloor-Palarivattom, other metro corridors where land acquisition suffered delay are the Jos Junction-Ernakulam Junction railway station-South overbridge and Vyttila-Pettah stretches.
