Vehicles crawl, so do widening works at Edappally

The road linking the Edappally-Pukkattupady Road with the NH 47 bypass south of Edappally Junction is in bad shape after it was dug up by KWA. Congestion at Edapally Junction can be considerably reduced if light vehicles are diverted through the road. - Photo: K.K. Mustafah

The PWD has completed a survey to redesign Edappally Junction and a plan will be finalised on Wednesday.

An earlier assurance that the junction will be widened by the end of this week has flopped as works have not begun yet.

The PWD was to modify free-left turns and traffic islands to add two more lanes to the junction’s southern side by weekend.

The PWD (Roads wing) was asked to take up the works since the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is not in a position to undertake speedy works.

“The junction can be widened by better utilisation of existing land and there is no need of fresh land acquisition. Trimming of the traffic island can be done easily, while widening the free lefts and tarring will take a few days’ time. This was because works can be done only at night,” PWD sources said.

The free-left turns on the junction’s northern side too will be widened. This would widen the junction’s narrow bell mouths on either side, they said.

Long-term plans

Benny Behanan, MLA, said the government would decide in another month a long-term project to untie traffic snarls at four major junctions, including Edappally.

Marottichodu tarring

Even as the PWD cites various reasons for the delay in widening the congested Edappally junction, it has not done anything to resurface the Parutheli Palam-Marottichodu stretch that connects Edappally Toll Junction on NH 47 with the NH Bypass near Oberon Mall. Diverting two, three and four-wheelers through the road would considerably decongest the junction. The road was battered after Water authority dug it up for laying pipelines. The work got over after much delay. The road is yet to be blacktopped though work was awarded some time back.