Soil testing has commenced for the 2.34-km flyover proposed at Kazhakuttam. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed workers and machinery for soil testing and the work has commenced from the Technopark side.
The flyover, the longest in the capital, will originate from the second gate of Technopark on the NH 66 Kazhakuttam-Karode bypass and move along the bypass corridor and Kazhakuttam junction and end near the Kazhakuttam police station on the NH 66. The flyover is proposed to ensure hassle-free movement of over 50,000 IT professionals employed in Technopark.
To come up in 75 piers, each 30 metres apart, the flyover will have a width of 19.06 metres. Vehicles coming via the NH 66 bypass from Chakka to Attingal and Kollam can move along the flyover and proceed via NH 66.
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Those coming via the bypass to go to the greenfield stadium, Karyavattom campus of the University of Kerala, LNCPE, and Pangappara can move along the bypass, which is being developed into a 45-metre carriageway, and turn right at Kazhakuttam.
The flyover has been conceived taking into account the future traffic volume of Technopark, the proposed Light Metro from Technocity to Karamana and the proposed widening of the Kazhakuttam-Cherthala corridor of the NH 66. One of the 19 stations of the Light Metro is at Kazhakuttam.
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Standalone project
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The general alignment drawing of the flyover had been submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for approval, an NHAI official said.
Once the drawing is approved, bids will be floated for the works.
As the ₹150 crore needed for the flyover cannot be sourced from the ₹669.06 crore sanctioned for the civil works of the bypass, it will be taken up as a standalone project of the Union ministry.
The approval for the flyover was given by Union Minister for Surface Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari in September 2015 while launching the works of the four-laning of the bypass.