THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The work on the Kazhakoottam-Adoor safe corridor project being undertaken as part of the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP)-Phase II was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan via video conferencing on Thursday. The 78.65 km-long stretch which will be completed with the aid of the World Bank passes through Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts and the project costs around R146.67 crore.
The safe corridor includes the renovation of 33 junctions, gateway treatment in school zones, solar lighting, modern road markings, signboards, and crash barriers. The Chief Minister said the road will be built as per international standards and will be a model for a safe road. The project aims at road safety along with road development. With the aid of the World Bank, the government has formulated the ‘Road Safety Karma’ project to bring down the number of accidents and thereby reduce the death rate. To decrease the number of fatal cases in road accidents, Post Crash Trauma Care centres are being set up at a cost of R 28.2 crore.
The facilities in the government hospitals belonging to areas on the model safe corridor will be upgraded as part of this project. The facilities at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Kottarakara Taluk Hospital, Adoor General Hospital, and the Primary Health Centres at Vamanapuram and Kanyakulangara will be upgraded. Enathu bridge has been strengthened as part of the project. Five-year maintenance of the stretch is also part of the contract.
The World Bank has given the nod to construct Punalur-Ponkunnam road as part of the discussions held by the government. The other projects in KSTP-Phase II-like Tiruvalla bypass (2.3 km), Thalassery Kalaroad (28.8 km), and Kalaroad-Valavupara (25.2 km) are nearing completion. G Sudhakaran, Minister for Public Works, Forest Minister K Raju.