Demand to widen Pettah bridge.

There is widespread demand to widen the narrow bridge at Pettah-Tripunithura SN Junction corridor with pedestrians standing the risk of being crushed between vehicles and the bridge’s railing.

The demand came in the wake of unofficial reports that the State government cleared funds for commencing preparatory works to extend the metro rail from Pettah to SN Junction, a distance of around two kms. 'We are yet to officially hear of funds being sanctioned for widening the corridor. But the paper work for obtaining funds for this began well before metro’s Kakkanad extension was sanctioned,' said Kochi Metro Rail Limited sources. Survey and peg marking to widen narrow parts of Palarivattom-Kakkanad Road are in the final stages, while this has not been done for Tripunithura. The Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Residents’ Associations (TRURA) blamed the lackadaisical attitude of people’s representatives from Tripunithura for the delay.

On whether the Pettah bridge would be four-laned as had been mooted for Champakkara bridge, metro sources said a decision had not been finalised. RITES, the government-backed infrastructure consultant, suggested an alignment, and it had to be seen whether the metro viaduct would be built over the bridge or through its side. Either way, the bridge would need widening and a footpath for safe commute by pedestrians. A final decision would have to be taken by the government, it said.

THE HINDU