A project that was mulled a year ago to widen and redevelop 10 bottlenecked junctions in Kochi and its immediate suburbs has run into rough weather, thanks to non-allocation of funds.
According to the plan, the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) was to do topographic survey and submit a report to implement it using Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) funds. Under this, NATPAC was to finalise designs to clear bottlenecks and to ensure safe movement of vehicles at busy junctions as part of the Accident-Free Kochi campaign. This was to be a pilot project for KIIFB, after which a study and redevelopment of other bottlenecked junctions were to be taken up.
“With the State government not allotting funds even for doing the topographic survey, the project that would have ensured faster and streamlined movement of vehicles through these junctions that are located on arterial roads and congested highways, has in effect been dropped,” informed sources said.
The junctions that were to be redeveloped are Collectorate Junction, Thevara, Atlantis, Ravipuram and Pallimukku on M.G. Road, Cusat Junction on NH 544, the accident-prone U-turn in front of Ernakulam Medical Centre, S.N. Junction and Vadakkekotta at Thripunithura, and Palluruthy-Veli in West Kochi.
NATPAC, after consultations with stakeholders like the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and the Kochi Corporation, was expected to suggest short-, medium- and long-term measures to decongest each of the 10 junctions where traffic snarls and accidents abound. Their inadequate width also forced vehicles to either idle for long periods or jostle for space, worsening air and noise pollution.
The State government was to provide funds to remove bottlenecks at these junctions to widen them and implement free-left turns, while minimal land acquisition would be required to ensure that the junctions adhered to KIIFB norms, sources said.
Mayor M. Anilkumar said the projects to streamline traffic flow in Kochi could be implemented if the government took a call on funding them. “As for the Corporation, the priority is to decongest Vyttila and Edappally junctions. The widening of other narrow junctions and the development of M.G. Road-Pullepady-Thammanam-NH Bypass Road into a 22-metre wide, four-lane road, would decongest much of the city,” he added.
