KOCHI: The Railway overbridge (ROB) at Vathuruthy is yet again in the news, this time over the concerns voiced by Rishi Palpu, former Trustee of Cochin Port Trust. Calling for a scientific and logical approach, Palpu said the ROB Vathuruthy's proposed alignment designed by the RBDCK is not scientifically viable plan and it can cause more traffic congestion in the future. Voicing the concerns, Palpu wrote to the CPT Deputy Chairman suggesting construction of an underpass with the expertise and advice of DMRC, which was involved in the design and execution of sophisticated ROBs in several parts of the state.
According to Palpu, an ROB is not feasible in the area as the beginning and the ending portion of the bridge pose a practical threat as well as traffic congestion. "The proposed alignment needs to be given a relook and should not affect the traffic into the port especially the movement of Over-Dimension Cargo (ODC) in and out the port," he said.
The high-rise structure can hinder movement of the cargo and lead to port congestion.
The Vathuruthy Railway crossing, one of the main traffic point towards West Kochi has been battling choc-a-bloc traffic for nearly 30 years. To ease the traffic hiccups, a ROB was proposed and the state government gave its nod to the plan last year.