2 days ago
6 months on, no work in sight at Venjaramoodu flyover site
T'puram: Six months after inauguration of the construction of Venjaramoodu flyover, not a single brick was laid. The project, envisioned to ease congestion at one of the busiest junctions on the MC Road, was caught in a tangle of bureaucratic delays, primarily due to the failure to shift overhead electric lines and remove power poles from the proposed construction site.
As a result, daily commuters, pedestrians and local business owners are bearing the brunt of mounting traffic bottlenecks and prolonged uncertainty. The flyover project, awarded to Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), was seen as a vital infrastructure upgrade for the region. But since the formal inauguration, the ground reality remains unchanged.
"The delay in relocating electric cables underground and removing electric posts stalled the actual commencement of construction," confirmed a senior PWD official.
"We cannot proceed with piling or excavation until KSEB completes the necessary utility shifting. The coordination has taken longer than expected," the official added.
The flyover was expected to be a game-changer for traffic movement between
Thiruvananthapuram
and Kottarakkara. Vehicles pile up during peak hours, especially at the congested four-way intersection, leading to frequent gridlocks and safety concerns.
Locals and daily commuters are growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of visible progress.
"Every day it's the same chaos," said Sunitha Raj, a schoolteacher who commutes from Kilimanoor to Venjaramoodu. "They held an inauguration with great fanfare. Now it is just barricades and dust," she added.
Meanwhile, Vamanapuram MLA D K Murali, under whose constituency the project falls, told TOI that the delays were unfortunate but assured the public that the issue is being addressed. "This is a critical project for Venjaramoodu and the surrounding areas.
I have taken up the matter with both PWD and KSEB. We hope to resume the construction works by next month and the utility works will be completed within two weeks," he said.
He also added that the KSEB has to call a tender for the utility shifting works.
According to sources, the initial utility relocation proposal was caught in a back-and-forth between the PWD and KSEB regarding funding and clearances. Though officials insist that coordination meetings have been held, no clear timeline for commencement has been announced.
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