Details of Vyttila flyover to be finalised in a week.

A pedestrian subway linking all four sides of the Vyttila Junction will come up simultaneous with a six-lane flyover.

The project's consultants will fine-tune the technical details of the two structures in the coming days and make a fresh presentation at a meeting that will be convened here next week, it was decided at a high-level meeting of PWD officials here on Monday.

PWD Secretary A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish presided over the meeting.

'Five technical aspects have to be fine-tuned. One is streamlining the movement of pedestrians and ensuring their safety. A skywalk can't be built at the junction since there will be a flyover and the Kochi metro viaduct above. Hence, subways will be built as in metropolitan cities. Secondly, probable collision points at the road level will have to be minimised for ensuring safe commuting. The flyover's vertical alignment and curves too will have to be smoothened, while signals at the ground level will have to be minimised,' said P. A. Hashim, Nodal Officer for Kochi's flyover projects.

In the meantime, the Bangalore-based firm which was awarded the consultancy for the flyover, began soil testing at the service road on the northern part of Vyttilla Junction recently. 'Deep piles might be required since a rocky surface has not been found even at a depth of 65 metres,' Mr Hashim said.

Public Works Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju had said in June 2014 that work on the Rs. 109-crore flyover would begin in September 2014. The Finance Department's delay in sanctioning the tender for preparing its design despite the interest shown by three firms and alleged paucity of funds were cited as reasons for the delay in kick-starting the work.

The Rs. 80.20-crore four-lane flyover at Kundanoor Junction too is hanging fire, despite worsening traffic snarls along the NH Bypass.


THE HINDU