Grim reminder for Vyttila flyover

KOCHI: Even as the PWD has planned to build a flyover at  Vyttila,   the  two flyovers built earlier at Edappally and Aluva on the NH have failed to solve the traffic problems at the Lulu and Pulinchodu junctions respectively. While the NHAI built the Aluva flyover, the DMRC built the one at Edappally. The Aluva flyover starts from the southern  end of Marthandavarma bridge and ends about 200 metres before the Pulinchdu junction. “Pulinchodu was an awkward junction where the road from Aluva town meets the NH 47. Several fatal accidents had occurred there,  and  three to four people had died  in a single car mishap.  But this junction was not covered  by  the flyover. Even after it was  commissioned, there were accidents.  An underpass was needed at  the other end near Marthandavarma bridge so that the vehicles going to Aluva town could pass through smoothly.   The flyover only caters to the small piece of road to the Aluva market from the old road passing around the church. A small bridge over the existing highway towards the market from the road at a higher level near the church would have served the purpose at less than a tenth of the expenditure of the flyover,” said  Mr G. Gopinathan, development cell convener of Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad.

“The flyover at Edappally remains a joke! The construction of metro rail connecting Aluva and Ernakulam was underway at that time.  The KMRL had realised that the road traffic will be less when the metro starts running. It  started discussions with private bus operators regarding alternative  routes for them. But instead of providing access to the traffic in the Vyttila-Aluva route, which has   the heaviest traffic load, the bridge was built along the Aluva-Ernakulam route. The junction at Edappally toll which  was having heavy vehicle density was not covered under the flyover,” he said.   “A flyover has  to provide smooth vehicular traffic but here the reverse is happening! Despite KSSP advising DMRC in advance against this, the authorities turned a blind eye,” said Mr Gopinathan.