A draft outline for the development of four flyovers in the city at a cost of `1,200 crore has been prepared at a high-level meeting in the city, attended by Union minister Prof K.V Thomas and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials led by its director general Mr. Kandasamy on Friday.
The minister later told mediapersons that the draft has been prepared after a joint study by the NHAI, the National Highway department of the state Public Works Department.
The flyovers have been proposed at Edappally, Palarivattom, Vyttila and Kundannoor. As the Metro Rail will be passing through Edappally and Vyttila, special design would be needed for the flyover there.
At Kundannoor, the plan is to implement the pilot project by developing land at par with international standards. In other three areas, the flyover construction will be taken over on the standards of the existing NHAI projects, said the minister.
It is hoped that in Plan outlay, minimum Rs 700 crore can be mobilized as Centre’s grant, the minister told newsmen.
The Union government will soon take a decision on allowing some special economic packages to states like Kerala and West Bengal. According to the minister, the proposed package will support the flyover project.
The officials of NHAI met Prof Thomas after inspecting the proposed sites for flyovers. For realizing the project, Mr. Kandasamy offered all possible technical help and support from NHAI.
The minster added that the master plan of the project would be prepared in such a way as to ensure development of adjoining places of the flyover with the active participation of people.
In national level, flyover construction and national highway development are being undertaken on BOT basis. In cities like Chennai and Hyderabad big amount is being collected as toll charges.
However, such high toll charges are not feasible in Kerala situation, Prof Thomas added. The objective is to make this project a reality through the coordinated effort of peoples’ representatives, land owners, corporation and state and union governments, according to the minister.
