THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Union government has given the final approval for the construction of Enchakkal flyover on the NH 66 at a cost of Rs 46 crore. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will float the tender for the project next month. Once the tender is approved, the construction is expected to start by January next year.
The flyover will start from the terminus of the Chackai flyover and will extend to the connecting point of Muttathara overpass and the NH 66 bypass. The region has been grappling with severe traffic congestion, intensifying the public demand for a flyover.
“The NHAI headquarters gave the financial approval for the project this month. We are now going ahead with the tender proceedings. We expect to complete the process by next month and begin the construction early next year,” said a top NHAI official.
As per the detailed project report, which received the approval from NHAI headquarters in February, the proposed four-lane flyover will feature nine spans, each having a distance of 25 metres.
The flyover aims to facilitate smoother vehicular movement from Kovalam, Shankhumukham, and Vizhinjam to the city centre. The junction, along the bustling Kazhakootam-Mukkola NH corridor, connects roads from the East Fort, Vallakadavu, Attakulangara, and Pettah-Enchakkal regions.
The area near West Fort and Attakulangara witnesses extensive traffic bottleneck, a predicament exacerbated by vehicles moving from the city to the bypass. The opening of Lulu Mall in Akkulam further contributed to the traffic.
The situation is worse along the Chackai to Kovalam service road where motorists often have to wait for 10 to 15 minutes. Around 10 police personnel have been assigned to regulate traffic on the West Fort and Vallakadavu sides of the junction. While one-way traffic is permitted through the service road at Muttathara, the burgeoning vehicle count has made peak-hour commutes nightmarish. Furthermore, commuters from Tamil Nadu and Neyyattinkara, en route to the bypass, favour the Attakulangara route to evade the Thiruvallam toll and the bottlenecks at the Muttathara service road, adding to the congestion.
Rs 46 cr sanctioned by Union govt for construction of the flyover
