Thiruvananthapuram: National Highway officials vow to build by-roads

Thiruvananthapuram: The government will ensure that by- roads are built on a priority basis to address the issue of the NH bypass cutting access of rural population to various public facilities at Thirupuram, Pazhayakada, Nettathani and Mukkola. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by PWD minister G. Sudhakaran and attended by K. Anselan, MLA, highway contractors and citizen groups on Monday. Speculations were rife that only 10 km of the 16-km stretch between Mukkola and Nettathani was supposed to have by roads.

Later it was said that there will be byroads but not many will have access to main highway. Similar issues were reported at Kanjiramkulam and Kottukal panchayats also. Mr Anselan said it was clarified in the meeting that there will be adequate underpasses and flyovers to cross the highways instead of providing U turns and junctions. “Byroads will give access to main highway carriage way at certain other places lest the movement of local people will be affected,” he said.

As per the original plan, underpasses were to come up at Punnakulam chappath, Kanjiramkulam- Kizhiyoor, Vlathankara-Poozhikunnu, Pazhayakada- Pottayilkada roads.  Flyovers were to be built at Marappalam – Vengapotta, Kottukunnam- Pottailkada and Chenkavila roads. However, the stretch between Karode and Mukkola runs cutting across several grids of panchayat roads.

The six-lane highway runs on a higher or much lower plane at many places virtually making pedestrian crossing impossible. “People were initially concerned only with the price they would get for their land,” he said. “Once the development started, many of them have their houses facing a gorge or a mount created for the highway. Their concerns will be addressed.”