Kochi: The Edappally Toll Junction is set to be a thing of the past with the KMRL authorities planning to block the junction after the Kochi Metro Rail becomes functional and allow turning one and a half kilometre ahead before KIMS Hospital.
Interestingly, the new flyover proposed at Edappally has failed to cover the Toll Junction due to the short-sightedness of the authorities and at this late hour it has become difficult to alter the design as pillars for Metro had already been erected on the stretch which come in conflict with any alteration in design, according to office-bearers of Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad who took the initiative for extending the flyover beyond Toll Junction.
“However we have asked the authorities to allow the crossing from the Ernakulam direction 300 metres ahead of the current Toll Junction rather than one and half kilometres ahead. According to the current plan, the vehicles that want to go to Aluva side from Pookkattupady will have to come to the Edappally Junction and turn right to proceed to the Aluva direction under the to-be-constructed flyover. This plan is ok. But the plan regarding vehicles coming from Ernakulam direction and proceeding to Pookkattupady has to be scientific. For private buses that ply in many numbers to the Pookkattupady area, this will cause a heavy financial loss in terms of diesel consumption if they are forced to turn before KIMS and hence we have asked them to allow a turning 300 mts ahead of Toll Junction, before the petrol pump,” said G Gopinathan, Ernakulam district environment cell convener of KSSP.
