Work on overbridge nearing completion.

The Chinnakada overbridge was closed to traffic on May 8 last to facilitate construction of the city Corporation’s Chinnakada underpass project and the realigned approach road to the overbridge. The northern portion of the approach road to the overbridge was demolished to facilitate the construction of the underpass.

The underpass was inaugurated by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on January 29. The city Corporation authorities said the reconstructed overbridge would be inaugurated by Mr. Chandy later this month or early June. For the construction of the project, 21.5 cents of Railway land was required but getting it appeared a difficult proposition at one stage. At Mr. Chandy’s initiative, 11 meetings were held with Railway authorities and the former Mayor Prasanna Earnest had played a pivotal role in pursuing the case by even going to Delhi to meet the then Railway Minister.

Railways agreed to give the required land on lease for 35 years for a payment of about Rs. 5 crore. The approach road has been laid and only tarring of the road remains. But the work on installation of electric lighting system along the bridge is pending as the fund allocation for it has not been cleared. The fund has to come from the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project.

THE HINDU