KOCHI: The construction works at Vyttila, along with the severely potholed roads, have been creating traffic bottleneck for some time now. However, with the monsoon wreaking havoc, crossing the road on a vehicle, let alone by foot, have turned a hurdle at the junction.
The flyover construction was launched in December last year and it had been a few months since then. However, the authorities have failed to prepare for the monsoon, considering that the Vyttila- Kundannoor stretch and the Vyttila junction, including the service roads and underpasses, are notorious for traffic congestion.
“We are doing concrete tiling works now. We have to consider the fact that works can’t be carried out during daytime which would double the traffic woes. I can’t say an exact deadline as it has been raining severely at night too. It will take its own time and what we can do till then is manage the traffic,” said a government official.
However, traffic officials can be seen waiting helplessly as people navigate the road, careful not to get their vehicles damaged or get hit themselves.
While authorities are engaging in the blame game, the plight of the commuters remains the same. The muddy and waterlogged roads ensure that at least one or two two-wheeler goes off balance and fall. Moreover, the KSRTC buses that come from Thiruvananthapuram will have to cross the Kundannoor- Vyttila hurdle.
“The buses towering over the already swimming four-wheelers who keep honking and slows down near every pothole in the area will look like a scene out of a movie showing the realities of a third-world country. I wonder what the authorities were doing than preparing for the monsoon. The Ponnurunni underpass saw mayhem last week. They had the contractors close the potholes temporarily,” said Keerthi, a resident of Vyttila.
With monsoon tourism gaining some momentum after the Nipah scare left the population, the number of vehicles passing the road has seen a rise. The heavy monsoon also forces the people to rely on four-wheelers which means double the number of usual vehicles.