Cochin: As the prospects for metro rail in Kochi have brightened with the Planning Commission giving the green signal, people of the city want the work on the project to begin soon without further delay so that they can escape the traffic congestion being experienced now.
Their apprehensions on these issues are not unfounded, as many infrastructure projects have been in limbo in the city.
While the Delhi Metro Corporation has earned a good reputation for getting work done in record time, work in Kerala will be a different game altogether, believe some of the major builders.
Most builders have welcomed the green signal for the metro rail as the project is expected to provide a good momentum to the overall development of infrastructure. This, in turn, will provide a necessary recharge to the property outlook in the city, they say.
All the same, the work will pose difficulties to people if the government, in association with local bodies, does not develop some of the connecting roads to the arterial roads of Kochi to help ease the traffic flow.
While Sahodaran Ayyappan Road requires repair, parallel roads on either side need to be developed. Similarly, other roads to Thripunithura, entry from the Maradu side and the Vyttila-Kaniyampuzha roads need to be strengthened to lessen the traffic on the main road.
If the work on Pulleppady overbridge gets done, one of the major roads connecting the city to the highway will become open, lessening the traffic on the metro route that will ring the city from north to south.
The construction of metro rail will be a challenge as the size of the existing roads, already congested, will be further reduced. Hence, it is important that the government does the spadework to prepare for a bigger project such as the metro.
News Published Under: The Hindu