KOCHI: Ending uncertainty over the much delayed Kundanoor flyover, minister for public works G. Sudhakaran will lay the foundation stone for the project at Kundanoor junction in Kochi on Saturday. The demand for a flyover in Kundanoor, one of the busiest junctions in NH-66, has been pending for long.
The 701 metre-long six-lane flyover will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 74.45 crore. The Roads and Bridges Development Corporation is executing the project using funds from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and the project is expected to be completed within two years.
Even though the flyover is to be built on the national highway, the project is being fully funded by the State government. Kundanoor is a major junction where three national highways, Panvel – Kanyakumari NH-66, Kundanoor – Willingdon Island NH 966B and Kochi – Madurai NH-85, intersect. RBDCK has signed an agreement with Muvattupuzha-based Marymatha Construction Company for building the flyover.
The flyover has been designed in such a way that the service roads will have maximum width. The structure will have a total of 14 spans along both sides of the road. Each span will have a length of 30 metres. There will be a roundabout with traffic signal under the flyover.
Two slip roads and an underpass are part of the project to facilitate smooth traffic flow from Tripunithura side to Aroor and from Aroor side to Thevara. The flyover project which was put on the backburner for quite some time has got a fresh lease of life after commencement of the Vyttila flyover.
Earlier, during the previous UDF government’s term, the National Highway Authority of India had given approval for the state PWD to construct flyovers at Vyttila and Kundanoor. But the proposals were scrapped after the finance department raised its objection. Later, the present LDF ministry revamped the plan and decided to raise funds for both flyovers from KIIFB.
Finance minister T.M Thomas Isaac, MLAs M. Swaraj, P.T Thomas, K.J Maxi, Hibi Eden John Fernandez, A.M Arif, Prof. K.V Thomas MP, RBDCK managing director Asha Thomas and district collector Muhammad Y Safirulla will also attend the inaugural function.
