Alternative roads get a facelift

KOCHI: With the count-down having begun for the trial traffic diversion in preparation for the North Railway Overbridge (ROB) re-construction, the authorities concerned are running helter-skelter to finish the patchwork and tarring of some of the major roads in the city.  According to the plan, only heavy vehicles will ply through the North ROB and the light vehicles will be diverted through other roads, especially those running parallel to the Banerjee Road and those around the north ROB. Considering the humongous traffic flow expected (more so, owing to Ramzan and Onam), the rate at which road repair is taking place is alarmingly slow. However, the official dilemma is such that, after declaring the trial run to last for a week, the word now is that traffic regulations will be enforced on Thursday night and Saturday.The Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Limited (RBDCK) has begun the repair work on the Thammanam-Pulleppady road. “Pothole-filling has been completed in the 600 metre stretch from the Pulleppady ROB till the Chittoor road, including the C P Ummer road. Owing to the heavy rain on Tuesday, work was disrupted on Wednesday. Anyhow, we expect the work to be finished within this week,” said M Beena, Managing Director of RBDCK.  Meanwhile, the Kochi Corporation commenced the tarring work on Chittoor Road the other day but has been held up because of overnight rain. “The entire stretch from Valanjambalam to Vaduthala will be repaired. But the work is being disrupted by the frequent rain. We have begun the work from Valanjambalam and have laid metal till SRV High School. If the weather is favourable, we will finish the work soon,” said Soumini Jain, the chairperson of the corporation’s Works Standing Committee.