Traffic atEdappally-Palarivattom stretch (Photo |EPS, Albin Mathew)
KOCHI: With the widening of National Highway-17, between the heavily-congested Moothakunnam and Edappally, getting delayed due to land acquisition hurdles, the public demand to reconsider the elevated highway project is getting louder by the day.
Though the road widening proposal is almost a decade old, it remains on papers. At present, the road here has a width of 30 metres. Though there was a plan to widen the stretch to 45 metres, the huge land acquisition cost and opposition from landowners against surrendering the land became a major hurdle for the authorities to carry the project forward.
"I have raised the issue in the Parliament. Considering the huge land acquisition cost required for widening the stretch, the most feasible idea will be the construction of an elevated Highway. The request was to conduct a feasibility study in this regard," said Hibi Eden MP.
He said if the plan for an elevated highway is not feasible, the authorities should consider acquiring land as per the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act.
