The inordinate delay on the part of the Public Works Department (NH wing) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in repairing potholes at Vyttila and Kundannoor junctions is worsening traffic snarls at the two junctions on the congested Edappally-Aroor NH Bypass, where flyover works are under way.
Officials of the NHAI, which owns, maintains and collects toll from motorists using the bypass, said the two junctions were handed over to the PWD on the condition that the department would ensure that the NH carriageway, its service roads and underpasses in the vicinity would be maintained in good condition. The PWD officials said maintaining potholed service roads away from flyover work sites was not their responsibility.
Even while exuding confidence about completing the Vyttila flyover as scheduled by May 2019 and the Kundannoor flyover by March 2020 as scheduled, a high-ranking PWD official expressed concern at the “sorry state of affairs” at the two junctions, over two months since PWD Principal Secretary Kamala Vardhana Rao visited the sites and issued directions to officials to complete repairs and laying of paver blocks by July-end. He admitted that doing preparatory work such as reinforcing approach roads, widening service roads and building a wider underpass beneath Vyttila railway overbridge before beginning piling for flyovers would have averted the massive traffic snarls at the two junctions.
Assistant Commissioner of City Traffic Police (Edappally) Abdul Salam said PWD’s inordinate delay in repairing potholes and laying paver blocks has resulted in vehicles being unable to use the available width outside the barricaded space.
Bus schedules
While ambulances are stuck in serpentine traffic snarls for long, bus operators said they were unable to operate all scheduled trips due to serpentine queues at the two junctions. Worse, the dust emanating from potholes is a nightmare for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.
An official associated with the flyover works said paver blocks would be laid on the undulated stretch on the Aroor side of Vyttila Junction within a week. Work to build a retaining wall between the NH carriageway and service road on the Thripunithura side would begin on Monday.