THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kesavadasapuram-Kazhakoottam road, which is the gateway to the capital, remains congested and the authorities have turned a blind eye to the development of the stretch.
The development of the road was put on the back burner by both LDF and UDF governments citing that a light metro rail system is being planned there. However, the metro rail project did not materialise and the stretch is lying neglected.
Due to huge traffic congestion, the PWD (NH) wing started widening 300-m stretch of the road from Kesavadasapuram to Food Corporation of India office near Ulloor into four-lane. The Sreekaryam flyover is a part of the stretch. The tender for the project is yet to be floated and the land acquisition proceedings are on. The flyover project was mooted as part of the proposed light metro rail system.
Commuters prefer the stretch to the bypass since it provides easy access to places like the Medical College Hospital, Pattom, Palayam and Kowdiar. However, now they are being forced to use the bypass due to heavy traffic blocks at Pongumoodu and Sreekaryam. “Even as the development of NH-bypass starting from Kazhakoottam to Karode is progressing well, a decision on the stretch that lies parallel to the bypass is yet to be taken by the government. The development of the 300-m road from Kesavadasapuram to Ulloor has become a farce. During peak hours, there is heavy traffic at Sreekaryam. The flyover proposed at Sreekaryam is also moving at a snail’s pace, “ Anand Sankar, a techie and a daily commuter, said.
In 2017, the state government had given administrative sanction to widen the congested Kazhakoottam-Kesavadasapuram stretch of NH-66 to accommodate the pillars of the light metro and build flyovers at Sreekaryam and Ulloor. Even the alignment was fixed. Moreover, the revenue department had begun land acquisition proceedings for three flyovers at Sreekaryam, Ulloor and Pattom and 19 light metro stations in the first reach.
“We are developing this part of the stretch. But we can’t widen the entire stretch to Kazhakoottam as it is part of the alignment for light metro and it is being overseen by Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd,” said a senior PWD official.