The final hurdle in setting up a railway overbridge (ROB) near Caritas Junction at Thellakom has been cleared with the authorities completing the acquisition of land.
Though Railways floated a tender in 2016 for establishing the rail overbridge at a cost of ₹317.76 lakh, it failed to take off due to delay in acquisition. While the Revenue Department could take over about 90 cents from 19 persons by 2015, the acquisition of the remaining 32 cents was stalled following disputes.
The issue, however, was settled through different rounds of negotiations between the authorities, landowners and the Thellakom-Mundakappadom Grama Vikasana Samiti. The Roads and Bridges Corporation of Kerala is slated to commence work on the project, which includes an 8-m-wide flyover and 4-m-wide service roads connecting both the ends.
The work on the proposed bridge, along the Thellakom-Medical College road, was sanctioned in the Railway Budget for 2010-11.
Railways had allocated ₹40 lakh in its 2010 budget for the project and about a year later, the State government also sanctioned ₹1.10 crore for the purpose.