Acute traffic hold-ups and traffic diversion hassles along the Aroor-Thuravur NH 66 corridor, where a 13-km elevated highway is being built, are a reminder of the precautions that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) ought to take when a similar structure is built in the Edappally-Aroor NH 66 Bypass corridor, say motorists.
Motorists have been citing the inordinate delay in black-topping the congested Aroor-Thuravur NH stretch and in relocating electric posts and other utilities from roads through which vehicles are being diverted as among the reasons for the chaos on the corridor ever since barricades were put up at frequent intervals to construct the six-lane elevated highway. Regular passengers said widening the bell-mouth of junctions would help streamline vehicles, including by providing smooth access to diversion roads.
Ernakulam District Residents’ Associations Apex Council (EDRAAC) secretary D.G. Suresh said the NHAI should have taken measures to do end-to-end black-topping or paver-block or concrete surfacing of the entire width of the NH stretch well in advance, to avoid the prevailing chaos. “The agency must work in tandem with other agencies concerned to avert a similar chaotic situation on the 16-km Edappally-Aroor NH 66 Bypass stretch, when work begins in early 2024 for the northward-extension of the elevated highway. It must take a cue from KMRL and DMRC which made optimal use of road width, and also developed diversion corridors, prior to barricading arterial roads for Kochi metro’s viaduct construction,” he said.
