THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Despite assurances of timely completion, the ambitious smart road project in the state capital, plagued by delays since its inception, is set to miss the March-31 deadline.
The inordinate delays in the execution of the work have left all major roads in the city in disarray. Besides the traffic chaos, diversions, dug open roads, and pipe bursts owing to the road works have thrown residents’ lives out of gear for years.
“We do need road development, but this is never ending. People are struggling to go to hospitals or travel during emergency situations. There is no space for pedestrians on these roads, nor are there enough traffic guards to manage the diversions at these stretches. This makes travelling in these areas dangerous. In many places, they haven’t erected warning boards to cordon off the areas to alert pedestrians. The authorities have missed several deadlines and people are at the receiving end,” said Gandhi Nagar Residents Association president Ravilal Gold.
The Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), following the direction of PWD Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, had recently formed special teams to carry out surprise inspections at the work sites to ensure timely completion. According to official sources, the smart road works will now be completed by April-end.
“A single contractor is executing five major works and hence the project is dragging on. We are planning to lift the traffic restriction on all roads where the work is progressing in the coming days. General Hospital-Vanchiyoor Road and Upplamoodu-Over Bridge Road stretches will be opened by mid-April. The road from Bakery Junction to Forest Office Road will also be opened by April 15,” said a KRFB official.
The official said the roads will be made accessible for traffic in the coming days. “We will be able to open two or three lanes of the Attakulangara-Killipalam Road by April 15. We aim to complete all the work by April end,” the official added.