KOCHI: The long delayed widening of Tripunithura-Vaikom road to four-lane will begin soon as the preparatory works for land acquisition have started.
With the government issuing notification for land acquisition, preparatory works like laying stones to identify boundaries have started from SN Junction to Poothotta. The road will be widened to 23 metres along the 13.5 kilometre stretch from SN Junction in Tripunithura to Poothotta.
The Rs 300 crore project was recently included in KIIFB after which it got a fillip, after several years. The boundary marking and stone laying work have been given for Rs 22 lakh.
“The road widening project will decongest the busy junctions like SN junction, East Fort and Kannankulangara. Though delayed for several years, the project is now all set to begin,” said Chandrika Devi, Tripunithura municipal chairperson.
Being the eastern entry point of the Kochi city, the narrow roads in Tripunithura have been witnessing heavy traffic congestion.
As the boarder marking is progressing at a fast pace, negotiations with the land owners will begin soon and plots will be acquired as per Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (LARRA).
Meanwhile, the the long-drawn Tripunithura bypass project is still in cold storage with no progress in land acquisition.
Earlier in 2014, the government had announced widening of the 13 km road and decided to impose freeze on land transactions in Tripunithura region against which public interest litigation was submitted in the High Court. The HC had dismissed the PIL.
