A traffic study of the Overbridge- Thampanoor- Killipalam corridor favours a two-tier flyover proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) from RMS Junction to Chenthitta along NH 66 and widening of the three arms of the existing flyover.
The proposals form part of the 21.8-km Light Metro’s Reach I from Technocity, near Pallipuram, to Karamana.
The lower deck of the 400-m flyover, to come up along the median on the Overbridge-Thampanoor road, will have two lanes of 5.5 m each for vehicular traffic. The upper deck will be used for the MRTS conceived by the DMRC.
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The National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), tasked to carry out the study based on the design and drawings submitted by the DMRC, has recommended widening of the arms of the existing flyover and construction of a new flyover .
“Considerable traffic will move through the new flyover which will cause reduced conflicting movements at the existing flyover and better flow of traffic,” NATPAC said in the report to Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd (KRTL), the special purpose vehicle set up to execute Light Metro.
The Thampanoor, Thycaud, and Chenthitta arms of the existing flyover carried an average daily traffic of 33,000, 31,000, and 48,000 PCUs respectively and 4.31 lakh vehicles moved through the flyover in a week.
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The three arms of the flyover had the carrying capacity of 1,500 PCUs and have exceeded their present capacity and need substantial capacity augmentation, the report said.
NATPAC suggested that the newly created conflict points should be designed adequately and managed properly by adopting appropriate traffic engineering and management measures.
As much as 0.8 hectares has to be acquired for the new flyover and for widening the approach of old flyover.
The new flyover and allied works will incur ₹180 crore, including ₹20 crore for land acquisition.