Faced with no let-up in traffic congestion at Vyttila even after the six-lane flyover was commissioned at the junction on Saturday, the Traffic Police handed over a list of recommendations to the PWD (NH wing), which included minor redesign of the roundabout and traffic islands, in order to streamline the flow of vehicles which converge at the junction from six roads.
This comes in the wake of criticism that the flyover caters to the flow of vehicles in just two of the 16 directions in which they move at the junction which is spread over 80 metres. The list of recommendations and drawings by the police was handed over to PWD at a meeting in which officials of both agencies participated.
Signal system
A senior official of the PWD (NH wing) said that altering the time cycle in the signal system in keeping with traffic pattern would bring some respite in the snarls at the junction. For this, the police must do a traffic study, he said.
This alone would not be enough, said a senior Traffic Police official. “We have recommended that 1/3 of the roundabout at the junction must be dismantled to create more space for vehicles from the Palarivattom side waiting to turn towards SA Road. This will, in turn, open up space for vehicles wanting to turn towards Vyttila Mobility Hub and the free-left turn towards Thripunithura. In addition, the right-angled edge of the traffic island has to be shaped at a slanting angle so that vehicles from the Alappuzha side can easily turn right towards Thripunithura.”
The triangle shaped island near the roundabout too must be adequately pruned. The PWD must also erect sign boards at the entry to the flyover on the Palarivattom side and further south to segregate motorists who come along the NH Bypass to occupy the fast track and those that join the bypass from the adjacent service road to occupy the slow track, in order to prevent time wastage caused when vehicles criss cross each other and to ensure that only vehicles wanting to turn right to SA Road occupy the fast track.
Widening stretch
The long-term plans that the police have suggested include widening of the 100-metre stretch located north of the turning towards Kaniampuzha Road, since it is extremely narrow and does not have space even for two lanes.
The PWD or NHAI (which owns NH Bypass and service roads) must also extend service roads on the northern side of Vyttila by a few metres where a new underpass, wide enough for two-way traffic, can be readied. The existing narrow underpass too must be widened if possible, since it would still hold the key to the smooth flow of vehicles in the east-west direction, police sources said.
The curbs on direct entry of vehicles from SA Road to Mobility Hub and Thripunithura and turning off of four signal posts will remain for another week, when a full fledged traffic plan is expected to be rolled out. A decision on traffic movement along RSAC Road too will be taken then.
