Kochi: With mishaps involving pedestrians on the rise, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is setting up Foot Overbridges (FoBs) at five “danger spots” identified along the 17-km long Aroor-Edapally bypass stretch of National Highway 66. “We have identified five spots where most pedestrian-crossings take place. They are Edapally Jn, Ernakulam Medical Centre Jn, Chalikkavattom Jn, Kannadikadu Jn and Madavana Jn. Kannadikadu is the spot where the most number of mishaps occur in the section,” said a senior NHAI official.
The work of the FoBs has started and they are being constructed by the Kochi-Aroor Tollways Pvt Ltd, the contractor who has been entrusted with the operational maintenance of the stretch for nine years. “The construction of the five FoBs is included in the agreement with the contractor. Originally they were planned at Edapally, Vytilla, Kundanoor , Palarivattom and Madavana – the busiest junctions in the stretch. However, with the flyovers coming up at Vytilla and Kundanoor (work is yet to start), we have done a study on the areas where there are maximum pedestrians crossings,” the official said.
Originally, the FoBs were planned in 2016 when a record 83 accidents claiming six lives and injuring 76 persons in four major junctions – Kundanoor, Vytilla, Palarivattom and Edapally were recorded in the first seven months. However, the consideration of the flyover projects forced the NHAI to keep the FoB project in abeyance. Recently, the NHAI set up new warning traffic lights at all median openings in the stretch. “One of the main reasons for mishaps is careless driving and speeding by vehicles at these stretches where other vehicles are attempting to enter the lanes. The blinkers will warn the drivers and can be seen from a distance,” the NHAI official said.
