Kochi: Despite being a busy route, authorities have been sitting on a proposal to widen the Kaniyampuzha Bridge and its approach road, a short cut connecting Vyttila to Tripunithura, on which thousands of motorists depend. Both the bridge and the road are narrow and are in a dangerous condition with no protective wall along the road. Hundreds of school buses pass through the stretch which has a deep trough on either side. Though there was a demand to widen the road as part of Metro works, it has not materialized.
“Commuting through the narrow stretch is dangerous as the approach road has no protection wall and if drivers are not careful, the vehicle can fall into the deep trench. When two vehicles come from opposite sides, there is very little space to pass through and moreover, the overgrown grass on both sides limits the view. The risk is high if the driver is new to the area, especially at night,” said Vijayakumar Sreerangam, a resident of Eroor. Steps should be taken immediately to make the bridge and approach road safe by erecting pillars on the side with reflective stickers, residents demand.
With Metro works and road widening causing congestion on the Vyttila – Petta main road, a majority of regular commuters take the Kaniyampuzha road to reach Tripunithura from Vyttila. For the people residing in and around Eroor in Tripunithura, the Vyttila Mobility Hub can easily be accessed through the Kaniyampuzha road. Though the Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Resident’s Associations (TRURA) had earlier initiated a campaign for the road development project and submitted several memorandums to the state government, nothing has happened.
