Make Kodungalloor bypass an elevated road, curb road accidents: Vipin Chandran

Kochi: The 3.5 km-long Kodungalloor bypass on NH-17 should be made into an elevated road as a permanent solution to end the recurring accidents allegedly caused by the unscientific alignment of the bypass. Kodungalloor municipal chairman Vipin Chandran says the civic body will take the initiative to convene an all-party meeting soon to demand a permanent solution to the accidents which have already claimed 29 lives in the past three years.

According to Chandran, as an interim measure, the present three openings to the highway from the Kodungalloor Town side should be reduced to two with a U-turn system to regulate the flow of vehicles. “We have already made such a suggestion and it will be discussed in the all-party meeting. The traffic regulatory committee will also raise the demand”, he added. The accidents in the bypass, that was inaugurated three years ago, have prompted several public personalities in Kodungalloor demanding a solution to the problem. The cost of the elevated highway would be in the range of Rs 20-25 cr but an agency like the National Highways Authority of India could easily afford such an amount, Chandran said.