NHAI mulls dropping Kumarichantha flyover amid protests; crucial meeting on July 25
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T'puram: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) may shelve the proposed flyover at Kumarichantha Junction on NH-66 in the state capital due to mounting local opposition. A final decision is expected after a high-level meeting to be chaired by the general education minister V Sivankutty, who is also the local MLA, on July 25.
T
he project was proposed after dropping the plan for an underpass near Lulu Mall. Local residents and traders opposed NHAI's project design, which involves a three-pillar flyover with 20-metre gaps between pillars and the remainder supported by retaining walls which they felt would hurt the region's commercial activity. The local community demanded a five-pillar structure with 30 metres between the pillars.
Following the protests, ongoing piling work for two of the pillars has been temporarily halted.
"NHAI should construct the flyover as per people's wishes. Constructing a retaining wall will affect the commercial prospects of the region. Hence, the construction of pillars is a suitable solution," said MLA Antony Raju who represents the nearby
Thiruvananthapuram
constituency.
NHAI officials are not convinced. A senior official said on condition of anonymity that going ahead with the project as per the revised demand would lead to significant cost escalations and engineering challenges.
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"We will inform the difficulty in constructing the pillar flyover due to the cost escalation in the upcoming meeting. If the govt puts forth any proposal, we will consider it. But if the govt insists on a five-pillar flyover, we may drop the project," the official said.
According to NHAI, persistent local resistance could lead to the plan being permanently shelved, reverting the junction to its pre-project status. The authority maintains that it already compromised on the original design by dropping the underpass proposal and moving ahead with the flyover to ease traffic congestion and ensure better connectivity on the NH 66 corridor.
The July 25 meeting will bring together representatives from the state govt, Public Works Department, local legislators and NHAI. The confusion over the flyover is the latest in the ongoing tensions between development and local interest, with residents calling for infrastructure that aligns with commercial realities and civic needs and the authorities struggling to balance feasibility and community's consensus of opinion.
The contractor is Kochi-based Cherian Varkey Constructions Ltd.
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