Motorists can expect a smooth drive from Akkulam to Ulloor hopefully by next month with the PWD all set to complete the construction of the 3.6-km Ulloor- Akkulam Corridor by then.
Though the original deadline was March 28, 2012, glitches in land acquisition had delayed the ambitious road project. Now, land acquisition has been completed and construction is in full swing, PWD officials said. The Kerala Construction Corporation has been entrusted with the development of this double lane road which links Akkulam to Prasanth Nagar Road.
Road-widening work on the ‘Ulloor- Akkulam Corridor’ was taken up in the beginning of 2011 at a cost of Rs 18.42 crore. PWD Executive Engineer Rajendra Babu said that the work had not progressed at the desired pace with land acquisition proving a major problem. “The total width of the road will be 16 metres, including the footpaths on either side,’’ he said.
The third and fourth phases of work on the road are nearing completion and are expected to be over by March, he said.
The new road will provide easier access to institutions like Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Centre for Earth Science Studies, Southern Air Command HQ and the National Institute of Speech and Hearing for people from outside the capital city. They can stop depending on the congested Kazhakkoottam- Sreekariyam- Ulloor route. On an average, nearly 1,000 vehicles, including ambulances, will benefit from the new road per day.
‘’The National Highway witnesses heavy traffic during peak hours. People face difficulty in reaching the city, especially Medical College and other hospitals, during the period. Traffic would be very heavy and traffic snarls are common. The Corridor will certainly be a boon for the residents and others making their way to the city,” said P Haresh Kumar, a resident of Prasanth Nagar.
“We were able to convince many property owners and proceeded with the widening works of the stretch,” Rajendra Babu said. As of now, 45 per cent of the widening work is over. By March this year, the road would be widened till Prasanth Nagar,” the PWD official said.
