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Kochi
By John L. Paul
KOCHI, SEPT. 16. The work on the rail overbridge (ROB) at Atlantis will start once the Pullepady ROB gets ready. The aim is to reduce traffic congestion on either side of the Ernakulam South overbridge. Vehicles from the Sahodaran Aiyyapan Road travelling towards Thevara and Ravipuram would be able to take a left turn from Manorama Junction and reach the Atlantis bridge through Panampilly Nagar. The bridge will also be of help to vehicles coming from Girinagar.
Obstacle to project
A major obstacle to the proposed bridge was the huge tower carrying hi-power transmission lines. The tower juts onto the approach road which leads to the rail crossing from Panampilly Nagar. "As per estimate prepared in 2002, relocating the 66-kv tower would involve a cost of Rs 3 crores, since power cables will have to be laid below the rails. Thus, we decided to realign the bridge, without touching the tower. The Railways have to approve the alignment, though funds have been included for the project in the rail budget. Land acquisition for the bridge will have to be done on the opposite side of the tower and on the other side of the rails," said sources in the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK), which will carry out the work. The bridge is expected to cost Rs 5 crores. It will be steeper than the Ernakulam South overbridge, but not as much as the one in Ernakulam North. This is because the Panampilly Nagar Road and M.G. Road run very close to the approach roads, they said.
Pullepady ROB
The pending work on the rail overbridge at Pullepady will be re-tendered in two weeks and work will start in the first week of November. Once completed, the bridge and the road are expected to carry a portion of the traffic which pass through Bannerjee Road and Kaloor. This will reduce traffic congestion in Ernakulam North. "The work on the bridge had to be re-tendered after the old contractor asked for more money, citing escalation in cost. The pile foundation on the western side of the track is over. Our aim is to complete the work on the road portion of the bridge within eight months. Work on the railway portion will have to be completed concurrently. Land acquisition is over for the bridge and the immediate approach roads. The Revenue Department is yet to acquire land in Katrikadavu and on the other side, towards Chitoor Road," RBDCK sources said.
Heavy traffic
Heavy flow of vehicles into Ernakulam is expected from the Goshree islands once the Vallarpadom container transhipment project and the Special Economic Zone in Puthuvype are commissioned. This will add to the congestion in the city, particularly at High Court Junction and Banerjee Road. Pachalam is expected to be heavily congested even after the four-lane road from the first Goshree bridge to the Chatiath church gets ready. The proposed ROB/elevated roundabout in Pachalam had been pending for long. The railways have not given sanction to the project, though it will be inevitable in a couple of years. Apart from completing the ROB or elevated roundabout, there is need to develop a 3.5-km road connecting Pachalam and Mamangalam. The project has to be taken up at the earliest, to prevent congestion in the city's arterial roads, the sources said.
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