Kochi: Heavy traffic block continued at Kundannoor Junction along the National Highway 66 for the third straight day on Saturday where the flyover construction is progressing at a tardy pace.
Serpentine queue of vehicles were seen over a kilometre till Kannad-ikadu even in the afternoon, when vehicle flow is comparatively less, as two-wheeler riders were seen having a tough time under the scorching sun.
The traffic police deployed additional personnel from control room, but little could be done to ease congestion as the deteriorated service roads slowed down traffic from the Vytilla and Maradu directions.
“The Circle Inspector himself tried to ease the congestion during peak hours today. Further personnel from the Control room were deployed besi-des that from Maradu Police,” said sources.
Though the traffic police directed the contractor to relay the deteriorated service road and replace broken slabs at one side of the road (towards Aroor), the latter failed to complete the same. Meanwhile, the PWD resumed work of the Kundannoor-Thevara parallel bridge following protest from local residents.
“We’re trying to open alternative options for motorists at the earliest. Majority of bridge work was completed earlier and the work stalled for something. Now they've started tarring the ap-proach roads. Residents of Netoor can use the road to escape the congested Kundannoor junction once the bridge wo-rk gets completed. The same is expected to take a week,” said Maradu Chairperson Suneela Siby.
When contacted a PWD official said the traffic congestion will get eased once the tarring of the raised slip road (towards Aroor) gets completed in another couple of days.
The flyover construction began in March 2018 and is scheduled to get completed in March 2020.
