THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-awaited service road bridge mooted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to reduce frequent accidents due to one-way rule violations by motorists near Thiruvallam junction, parallel to the existing bridge, will soon be a reality.
According to the NHAI, the construction of the new bridge will begin in three months. The revised estimate prepared for the project was sent to the NHAI regional office for approval, and a tender will be invited for the construction of the bridge once the final approval is received, an NHAI source said. As per the revised estimate, the proposed bridge will have 110m length and 12.5m width and will be constructed at a total cost of Rs12 crore.
“The proceedings for the approval of the estimate and tender process will take two months, and the selection of the bidder will take one month. So, we expect to start the construction after completing the proceedings,” said P Pradeep, NHAIproject director.
PWD minister P A Mohammed Riyas had visited Thiruvallam two weeks ago and instructed the NHAI to start the construction of the service bridge soon. The NHAI regional office had submitted a detailed project report (DPR) in February. But the NHAI headquarters had directed it to rework the DPR in such a way that the toll revenue leakage could be avoided. Based on the direction, the NHAI reworked the DPR and redesigned it. The toll plaza is located hardly 200m away from Thiruvallam junction. Accidents occur quite often here as vehicles, including buses and heavy trucks, violate the one-way rule.
Earlier, the NHAI headquarters had proposed to construct a new bridge demolishing the existing one. However, its regional office had suggested constructing a service road without demolishing the old one. As per the plan, the new service road bridge is for motorists coming from Ambalathara to Thiruvallam and Pachalloor, while the old bridge will be the main carriage way of the NH bypass.
The service bridge is expected to reduce frequent accidents near the Thiruvallam Parasurama temple. Thiruvallam junction is one of the busiest in Thiruvananthapuram, with vehicles travelling towards Kovalam, Pachalloor, East Fort, and Ambalathara passing through it. Motorists from Pachalloor and Kovalam who use the old bridge to enter Ambalathara often collide with those coming from Kumarichantha.
Motorists from Kovalam should take a U-turn at Kumarichantha signal if they want to enter Thiruvallam junction. But those going to Ambalathara or Pachalloor prefer the U-turn on the NH. This is dangerous for the commuters and vehicles coming from Kumarichantha. The construction of a new service road will help motorists from the Ambalathara side reach Thiruvallam junction without entering the old bridge.