Kerala - Kochi   

Edapally-Airport Junction stretch unable to handle heavy traffic

John L. Paul

Highways authority official says it has to be widened to six lanes

KOCHI: With the number of passenger car units (PCUs) on the Edapally-Airport Junction stretch exceeding 50,000 a day, there is an urgent need to widen the road from four lanes to six lanes.

The PCU is a conversion based on speed of vehicles and the area occupied by them. The PCU of a car is 1 and a two-wheeler 0.5. A bus has 3 as the PCU. Srinivasulu Naidu, Project Director of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), says that four-lane roads have a carrying capacity of 20,000 to 30,000 PCUs a day.

"Once it reaches the figure of 40,000 PCUs a day, steps must be taken to convert the stretch into six lanes. Now, it is up to the Central Government to decide on widening the stretch."

A survey undertaken by the Public Works Department has found that the number of PCUs has exceeded 50,000 on the stretch. The authority will have to provide land for widening the road.

Minimum width

"A six-lane road requires a minimum width of 45 metres. The width of the portion already acquired ranges from 24 metres to 45 metres. Service roads and drains too will have to be constructed if the road is widened. Land acquisition alone will take two years. Widening the road into six lanes will take another two years. Which means, work should start soon if a six-lane road has to be ready by 2010," says Mr Naidu.

A build, operate and transfer contract has been signed to spruce up and maintain the stretch from Edapally to Mannuthy, and work is expected to start within a month.

Traffic congestion is so bad on the Edapally-Airport junction stretch that motorists, especially regular commuters and those travelling to the airport, find it difficult to reach their destination on time.

Till a couple of years ago, the 10-km stretch from Vytilla to Kalamassery could be covered in 10 to 12 minutes. Now, it takes at least 20 minutes, despite the stretch being part of the four-lane National Highway 47 bypass.

Less said the better about the hassles faced by people travelling to the airport, 27 km from the city. During peak hours, it takes more than 80 minutes to cover the stretch.

Motorists suffer

A manifold increase in the number of vehicles, sharp curves, lack of lane-discipline and unending wait at numerous junctions dotting the stretch have become a bane for motorists. Things get worse at night, since streetlights have not been installed on the Edapally-Aluva stretch, except at a few junctions.

The result is that motorists are unable to see the road shoulder on the left and the median on the right. Accidents have become rampant on the ill-lit stretch. The least that can be done is fixing reflectors on the medians.

President of Aluva Poura Samithi Mathew Paul says that the bypass takes a turn for the worse from Aluva, towards north.

"This is because of the numerous sharp curves on the stretch. The road alignment has been badly affected by this. The sharp turns at Kariyad and Desam junction have become accident spots," he says.

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