Traffic regulations were introduced at the NH Bypass Junction at Palarivattom on Sunday, as part of which the crossing along Civil Line Road was barricaded, and vehicles along the road were diverted through U-turns that were created on either side of the flyover.
With Sunday being a lean day and curbs on people gathering in public places, traffic was minimal through the junction. “More number of vehicles are expected on Monday, when the junction generally encounters snarls. Vehicles in the east-west direction will thus take a left turn and cross over to the other side through newly-built U-turns on either side of the flyover. They need to travel only 350 metres extra on each side. Over 30-metre wide U-turns, each capable of accommodating vehicles in multiple rows, have been carved out on either side of the flyover. Vehicles will have to use this facility till the flyover is rebuilt,” said Francis Shelby, Assistant Commissioner of Police, City Traffic Police (East).
The advantages of having two U-turns, 700 metres from each other, are many. Commuters will face minimum inconvenience, while monitoring traffic will be easy. Around a dozen personnel, including four wardens sponsored by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), will be posted in and around the junction to regulate vehicles and to ensure the safety of pedestrians. Electronic signal lamps will be installed at both the U-turns, to regulate traffic coming from the NH Bypass and those taking U-turn. Their importance will go up during night. Adequate number of lights too will be installed at the two U-turns, to ensure visibility from a distance, the officer said.
On Sunday, barricades were erected beneath the central spans, to ensure safety of road users when the flyover is dismantled and rebuilt. Barricades have been installed beside the flyover too, wherever concrete crash barriers are being demolished. The DMRC has also set up sign boards to warn motorists to slow down, considering civil work over the flyover.
Potholes remain
In the meantime, potholes along potential traffic diversion roads like Vennala-Puthiya Road stretch have not being repaired by the Kochi Corporation. Encroachments by houses and shops abound on Puthiya Road and at Vennala High School Junction, obstructing traffic. The DMRC and Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS), the stakeholders engaged in reconstructing the flyover, will have to repair potholes on Civil Line Road and alternative roads, in case the PWD and the Kochi Corporation do not repair them.