Work on a new road in the city, which will come up over the Vanchiyoor canal, was launched in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
The work, launched by Public Works Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, will see 300 metres of the canal having slabs laid over it at a cost of Rs.7.5 crore to enable transport over it. Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, who presided over the function said, the second phase of the project would see the canal being covered and ‘converted’ into a road from the Uppidamoodu bridge up to Kannammoola.
The Irrigation Department had already been entrusted with the task of preparing a project report for this, he said. The project report would be handed over to the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) for implementation after being included in the next Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) project, he said.
Mr. Ebrahim Kunju said the Kerala Road Fund Board would take over the work on making the Vellayambalam-Thycaud Junction road a four-lane one. This was after a request from Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, the legislator for the area.
The surveys for the second phase of the city development were over. Work on the Pettah rail overbridge would be completed in a time-bound manner. Renovation of the canal from Pazhavangady to Kannammoola was progressing, Mr. Ebrahim Kunju said.
Mr. Sivakumar said the scientific renovation of the traffic regulation system at Eenchakkal Junction and the construction of the Vazhuthacaud flyover would be included in the second phase of the Capital City Development Programme. PWD Secretary T.O. Sooraj presented a report while councillor P.S. Sarojam welcomed the gathering.
