KOCHI: Vyttila, the state's busiest junction where flyover works have started, witnessed unprecedented traffic congestion on Tuesday. The traffic snarl started early morning went late into the evening. Traffic police took measures to ease the jam, but their efforts did not help much. The narrowed passage due to the ongoing construction works worsened the chaos. Traffic went haywire in the morning when hundreds of drivers hit the road after long Easter holidays. The massive pile-up of vehicles in Vyttila affected the movement of vehicles along the national highway and other roads intersecting here.
It was bumper-to-bumper traffic along the major routes to the city like Tripunithura - Vyttila road. As the small vehicles and two-wheelers entered the narrow alternative ways, the entire area became choked. "The police authorities failed to ease the traffic, and the congestion due to increased vehicle flow continued till evening. It took nearly 40 minutes to cross the junction in the afternoon," said Abdul Rahim, a private bus operator. Several private buses coming to the city from eastern areas had to cancel trip midway at Vyttila mobility hub.
Assistant commissioner of police (Traffic east) K.A Abdul Salam told DC that it is the increased traffic flow after the long weekend which created unprecedented chaos at Vyttila. "To ease the congestion, buses from Tripunithura were allowed to enter the mobility hub through the exit. The number of vehicles passed through the junction was much higher on Tuesday compared to a normal day," he said. Meanwhile, works minister G. Sudhakaran while laying the foundation stone for Kundanoor flyover announced more measures to ease traffic at Vyttila Junction.
Construction of an underpass between Sahodaran Ayyappan Road and Tripunithura will begin as soon as the six-lane flyover is ready.
