Little is being done to repair dilapidated parts of Thammanam-Pullepady road, despite mounting traffic hold-ups, and oftentimes accidents, resulting in the Kochi Corporation inviting commuters’ wrath.
Their grievance is maximum about the condition of the narrow Kathrikadavu-Pullepady stretch, which is even otherwise narrow and bottlenecked.
The stretch was last relaid by metro agencies as part of the Kochi metro’s preparatory works a decade ago, to divert vehicles from Banerjee Road and other arterial roads. “It is shocking that civic agencies are turning a blind eye to the condition of the road which runs parallel to Banerjee Road and also S.A. Road. With the Palarivattom flyover declared out of bound for vehicles in May 2019, more people are commuting through the road to the city and back. The corporation must urgently repair the stretch, since far too many people are relying on private vehicles for commute in the pandemic situation,” said Rajesh K., a regular commuter along the corridor whose widening work hit a dead end despite efforts that began three decades ago.
With the government announcing that the Public Works Department (PWD) would take over the stretch and develop it as a 22-m wide road, the department carried out a survey and also soil testing, earlier this year.
“We are willing to take over the stretch and develop it as a four-lane road, provided the Kochi Corporation hands it over to us in motorable condition,” said a senior official of PWD (Roads wing). “The State government has not yet intimated the Kochi office formally of the impending takeover. Development of the road as a four-lane stretch, with a dedicated duct to carry utilities, is a long-term project that would be funded by KIIFB. A preliminary survey is over, as part of PWD’s project-preparation wing readying its DPR. A design and other elements have to be finalised, prior to works kicking off,” he said.
The road may also have a dedicated cycle track, as part of measures under way to promote non-motorised transport in the city, it is learnt.
Sources in the Kochi Corporation confided that many road repair works were lagging, despite contractors calling off their months-long agitation. The Traffic Police too are peeved at the plight of the road, despite them sending letters to the civic agency, pinpointing ill-maintained and accident-prone areas on the road.
With local body polls on the anvil, the District Collector, who has been placed in charge of the civic body, is expected to take a call on road and allied works that need urgent attention.