Bottlenecked junctions that abound in Kochi’s arterial roads must be widened and improved as per Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines in order to streamline vehicle flow in the city, B.G. Sreedevi, former Director of NATPAC, has said.
Traffic experts must study each junction and suggest corrective measures to smoothen the traffic flow. The IRC norms speak of the need for adequate space for free left turns and other amenities at junctions. This is a cost-effective measure. Roundabouts can be built in junctions which host traffic beyond a certain limit. Busier junctions need a full-fledged signal system while overbridges must be built at junctions which encounter huge queues of vehicles in different directions, Ms Sreedevi said.
Such measures, alongside the impending launch of the ₹27-crore Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) in the city, will considerably benefit motorists. Ban on parking at bellmouths of junctions, at U turns and removal of encroachers will further decongest the city and its immediate suburbs. These measures will also help pedestrians safely cross the road at junctions, she said.
Experts had repeatedly flagged patchy development work done to widen junctions. They included ₹50-lakh worth widening work done by the PWD a decade ago at Edapally Junction and a multi-crore work done by KMRL in and around the junction, where two NHs and the NH Bypass converge. While these works smoothened traffic movement on the northern side of the junction, inadequate space utility on the southern side is hampering streamlined flow of vehicles on the free-left turns from Aluva towards NH Bypass and from NH Bypass towards Palarivattom.
Similar issues choke traffic movement at Palarivattom Bypass Junction (which too was partly developed as part of constructing the flyover), Kaloor Junction, Kadavanthra Junction and Madhava Pharmacy Junction and almost all junctions on MG Road. They contribute to considerably slowing down traffic movement.
