A height gauge will be erected on either end of the six-lane flyover at Vyttila, to prevent vehicles taller than 5.50 metres from entering the structure.
This will be put up at the entries to the flyover from Palarivattom and Aroor sides, as insisted by metro agencies, to prevent vehicles taller than 5.50 metres from crashing into the metro viaduct that towers over the flyover. This height restriction is the norm across India, while it is lower than 5 metres in most of the developed world where vehicles, including goods carriers, adhere to height restrictions, official sources said.
A few people had expressed concern over vehicles registered outside Kerala, with illegally altered length, width, and height entering the flyover, posing danger to fellow motorists and the metro viaduct that hovers above.
The PWD (NH Wing) has also readied a roundabout beneath the flyover, to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the east-west direction, from SA Road to Thripunithura and to the Vyttila Mobility Hub. “Thus buses and other vehicles going to the hub will have to proceed along the left side of the roundabout, while those proceeding to Thripunithura will have to use the right side of the structure. This system was finalised after discussions with Keltron and Cochin Smart Mission Limited [CSML], which will together ready the signal system at Vyttila,” official sources said.
A median on the Thripunithura side will be relocated northward, to create more space for vehicles wanting to take a free-left turn. “We did our best to ready the flyover and service roads on either side, without any land acquisition. Care has also been taken to ensure excellent ride quality over the structure,” they added.
