Enchakkal flyover work to begin in four months

DPR is submitted to the Centre for its approval, tender for construction will be floated in two months: NHAI
Image used for representational purposes only. (Express Illustrations)
Image used for representational purposes only. (Express Illustrations)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putting an end to uncertainty, the proposed Enchakkal flyover on NH-66 bypass will be a reality as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is expected to start the construction within four months. According to NHAI, the tender for the construction will be floated in two months.

The NHAI regional office has already submitted its Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Centre for approval. “We will start further proceedings, including inviting tenders, after getting the approval. So we expect to start the construction within four months, said P Pradeep, project director, NHAI.

As per the DPR, the four-lane flyover will have nine spans, each of which will have a gap of 25 metres. The flyover begins at the portion where the Chackai flyover ends and will end where the Muttathara overpass starts on NH-66 bypass.

With the area witnessing acute traffic congestion, a flyover at Enchakkal junction has been a long-standing demand. Recently, Public Works minister P A Mohammed Riyas visited the spot and urged the NHAI to expedite the work.

The movement of traffic at Enchakkal Junction has got worse due to the absence of a flyover or an underpass. Almost everyday, a serpentine queue of vehicles can be seen at the West Fort and Attakulangara side. The traffic flow from the city to the bypass has increased considerably since the opening of LuLu Mall at Akkulam, which, in turn, has made the waiting time of motorists longer.

As of now, a total of 10 traffic police personnel control the traffic at the junction on the West Fort side and the Vallakadavu side. Though one-way traffic through the service road is allowed at Muttathara, the rise in the number of vehicles has made commuting a nightmare during peak hours. Also, many people who come from Tamil Nadu and Neyyattinkara and are looking to go to the bypass prefer to go via Attakulangara to avoid the toll at Thiruvallam and the bottleneck at the Muttathara service road, adding to the rush.
In February this year, Transport Minister Antony Raju called on Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi after getting in-principle approval for the project. Subsequently, the Union minister directed NHAI to prepare the DPR in three months.

The work on the Rs 200-crore project is envisaged to facilitate the smooth entry of vehicles from Kovalam, Shankhumukham, and Vizhinjam into the city, besides easing the congestion at the junction. Located on the busy Kazhakootam-Mukkola national highway stretch, the junction has roads from East Fort, Vallakadavu, Attakulangara, and Pettah-Enchakkal converging.

Earlier, the NHAI had proposed an underpass there, but the plan was scrapped after traders opposed it. Since the Chackai flyover was opened to the public, the traffic congestion at Enchakkal has become a cause for concern to commuters. The congestion primarily happens on the service road from Chackai to Kovalam, where vehicles remain stuck for 10 to 15 minutes. That affects the movement of vehicles on other roads too. The local residents and traders have welcomed the decision to construct the flyover.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com