The widening of the Balussery State highway has hit a roadblock even as motorists are battling to ply on the pot-hole ridden stretch from the Karapparamba-Balussery carriageway.
It is a harrowing experience for motorists with vehicles passing through the highway from Karaparamba to Karikkamkulam. Before rain damaged the roads, the 20-km Karaparamba-Narikkunni-Balussery stretch had become unmotorable. Now, potholes have turned craters making it deadly even for pedestrians.
A few such hollows have been filled with stones. And that has put motorists even to more hardship. “Two-wheeler riders face the risk of skidding despite exercising extreme caution,” said K. Anilkumar, an electrician who travels in the section.
Another major issue is vehicle parking on the busy stretch. Traffic has gone up especially in the last few years, the reason being the mushrooming of commercial complexes and apartments. Policemen deployed at Karaparamba Junction have been struggling to control the flow of vehicles from Eranhipalam, East Hill and Kunduparamba sides.
Public Works Department (PWD) officials said the government had long ago proposed to widen the road owing to the rise in traffic volume on the highway. Thus a year ago, a project at a cost of ₹89.25 crore had been envisaged through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), a statutory body to mobilise funds for infrastructure development.
The Road Infrastructure Company Kerala, another government undertaking, has been tasked with the project. The proposal is to widen the road by 18 metres from Karaparamba to Kakkodi. The remaining stretch from Kakkodi to Balussery is to be widened by only 12 metres.
Opposition
A section of local people and shopkeepers have already objected to the road-widening project. But others want the entire stretch to be widened by 18 metres so as to allow smooth flow of traffic. Survey for land acquisition has already begun at Vengeri and neighbouring areas, PWD officials said.
One of the biggest issues is acquisition of land. Shops and buildings at Karaparamba, Karikkamkulam, Thadambattuthazham, Vengeri, Kakkodi, Kumaraswami, Ambalathukulangara, and Kakkoor will have to be demolished for the purpose.
The government also has plans to acquire land in accordance with a notification under the Land Acquisition Act, officials said.
