KOCHI: Krishnan Nair, a 55-year-old shopkeeper at Thammanam, always hoped that his life, filled with the cacophony of honking vehicle horns, will change. However, with traffic on the Thammanam-Pulleppady road returning to its chaotic pace after Covid restrictions were eased, the quinquagenarian is slowly realising that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Many residents like him know that widening of Thammanam-Pulleppady road is the only permanent solution to their woes. However, the proposed project, which is supposed to utilise money from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), is facing technical hurdles. The implementing agency for the project, Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), has decided to revisit the demand for a flyover that connects the eastern end of Kathrikadavu Junction with its western end close to the Pulleppady bridge.
However, the acquisition of a Jewish cemetery is posing a problem. “It’s frustrating to see that a project which has immense potential, is stuck in minor hurdles. We have been struggling with the narrow lane for decades. There are numerous residents who left their ancestral property in the area due to the poor state of roads. Be it regular maintenance or widening plans, authorities are in no mood to come up with a perennial solution,” said Krishnan.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Ramani V K, another resident, said the project has been in the pipeline for a while and nobody has taken any initiative to implement it. “As the project aims to reduce the traffic load on Banerji and SA roads, there should be a wider road with spacious footpaths and cycle tracks. If not, the entire exercise will be futile.”
Cemetery block
Recently, a contingent comprising Mayor M Anilkumar, Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, MLAs P T Thomas and T J Vinod, District Collector Jafar Malik and officials from different departments visited the area.
They held a discussion with the cemetery authorities on acquiring a portion of its land to develop the M G Road-Pullepady-Thammanam-NH Bypass stretch into a four-lane corridor.
“Though the previous council has entrusted the development of the road to Public Works Department by passing a resolution, the required procedures for acquisition haven’t been completed. We have been trying to wrap up the process as the government has allocated Rs 100 crore under KIIFB for it. Once the survey numbers of properties that are to be acquired and those already acquired by the corporation have been collected, we will be able to hand over the entire stretch to KRFB. The department will come up with a revised DPR after that,” said Anilkumar.
According to corporation officials, while rechecking survey numbers, three types of properties will be included — those handed over to the corporation freely, land for which compensation was paid and those that are yet to be compensated.
Revisiting need for flyover
Following the demand from Kochi corporation and residents in the area, KRFB is now reconsidering the flyover at Kathrikadavu Junction. The structure was previously omitted from the detailed project report (DPR) since an additional three metres had to be acquired on both sides of Kathrikadavu Junction to construct service roads. However, the long-term impact of the proposal is now being considered by authorities.
Meanwhile, officials are trying to avoid the acquisition of the Jewish cemetery by extending the length of the structure. “We also need to preserve the Jewish cemetery. So we are looking at multiple options now. KIIFB wants the flyover to be 22-meters-wide or as an extension of the Kathrikadavu ROB. So we are considering all options to ensure a long term solution for the junction development,” said mayor.
KRFB officials clarified that a clear picture of the proposal will be included in the revised DPR. “As we have multiple proposals in hand, we need to decide whether the flyover should be 22 metres wide like the rest of the road or should be reduced to fit in the available land. We are also considering suggestions given by the KIIFB,” said an official.
Project in a nutAshell
3.46km Length
Lanes: 4
6.97 ha Area required
Acquired through free surrender: 1.20 ha
Acquired at market value: 2.09 ha
3.68 ha To be acquired
Existing width: 8m (approximately)
Width after completion: 22m
Implementation agency: Kerala Road Fund Board
Major features
Flyover at Kathrikadavu
Widening of Thammanm-Pulleppady bridge
Dedicated cycle tracks throughout the stretch