Commuters have a harrowing time on metro’s diversion roads in Kochi

With neither Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) nor the road owning agencies concerned resurfacing damaged and waterlogging-prone areas of the NH Bypass-Puthiya Road-Vennala-Palachuvadu-Seaport Airport Road corridor, commuters who take the route to avoid getting caught in traffic snarls on the Civil Line Road, which has been barricaded for Kochi Metro’s Kakkanad extension, are having a harrowing time.

While the Kochi Corporation owns the ill-maintained Puthiya Road where broken and missing slabs abound, the Public Works department (PWD) owns the rest of the corridor where severe undulations, potholes and broken slabs pose danger to both motorists and pedestrians. Neither has the PWD done proper restoration of the Alinchuvadu-Thykavu Junction Road, which runs parallel to the NH Bypass and had been trenched at frequent intervals to lay gas pipelines and build manholes.

Official sources said that the KMRL ought to urgently repair damaged portions of these roads that are owned by the Corporation and the PWD, since there is a phenomenal increase in the number of vehicles that use them, due to intense barricading of Civil Line Road.

In a submission before the State Legislative Assembly recently, Thrikkakara MLA Uma Thomas had demanded that the KMRL and the State government adhere to the assurance they gave as early as in 2023 that alternative/diversion roads would be redeveloped, to cater to the additional influx of vehicles from the heavily barricaded Civil Line Road. “The metro agency’s failure in this regard is causing traffic snarls and accidents not just on Civil Line Road, but in diversion roads as well. Commuters, residents and traders have been severely affected by the pathetic condition of these roads and the inordinate delay in clearing traffic bottlenecks,” she said.

The frequent water pipeline bursts at metro work sites added to the chaos, while affecting the drinking water supply. Half-hearted measures by KMRL, like dumping of concrete in trenched parts of roads, have made matters worse, with roads developing undulations. It is high time the State government sped up repair and resurfacing works, Ms. Thomas added.

PWD sources said that the entire Civil Line Road, a portion of Seaport Airport Road south of Collectorate Junction and all traffic diversion roads were handed over to KMRL. The metro agency ought to have cleared bottlenecks and maintained them in a safe, motorable condition, they added.