Rain takes up inauguratuion of Bakery Fly over
May 29, 2010
Built on 13 concrete piers, the 510-metre-long flyover has an 11-metre-wide carriageway with concrete crash barriers on both sides. The 14-span bridge will be exclusively for vehicles and out of bounds for pedestrians. The flyover across Bakery Junction, a major component of the City Roads Improvement Project (CRIP), was scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.Work on the approach roads at both ends is progressing and clearing the way for the finishing touches. This Fly over was built as a link to the underpass at Palayam, it provides a route across MG Road for vehicles coming from the airport via Chacka, Pettah, Palayam towards Thampanoor.
Work on the flyover that began in August 2005 came to halt in 2006 after the implementing agency threatened to pull out citing delay in land acquisition.Though the contract was renewed, the construction work was held up several times by the delay in land acquisition, procedural problems and the dispute between the government and the contractors.The construction of the flyover also saw the State Public Works Department portfolio changing hands five times, from M.K. Muneer to P.J. Joseph, T.U. Kuruvila, Mons Joseph and back to P.J. Joseph. Except a small area to be used as a parking bay by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the area beneath the flyover will be landscaped with plants and lawns to prevent encroachments.
The Fly over at Bakery is done by the Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Project.The project involves widening, strengthening and improvement of the selected road and street furniture, as listed below:• Widening of 12 corridors having a length of 42km with 4.94km 2 lane, 13.14km 3 lane, 17.15km 4 lane and 6.83km 6 lanes.• Geometric improvement• Strengthening of the road surface• Improvement of 65 junctions• Flyovers at Bakery Junction and Thakaraparambu• Underpass at Palayam junction• Improvement/ replacement/ construction of existing culverts and minor bridges• 2 metre wide paved footpaths, signalized pedestrian crossings and other pedestrian facilities • Road signs and markings, modern solar based traffic signals, high mast lighting and destination boards• Provision of storm water drains, new street lights and tree planting• Provision of 94 dedicated bus bays, offsetting from the main carriageway• Reorganizing of the existing utilities (telephone lines, electrical lines etc.) so as to avoid future road cutting.
The project is part of the Rs.220-crore City Roads Improvement Scheme which includes the construction of two flyovers at Bakery Junction and Thakarapparambu and an underpass at Palayam. The three-lane bi-directional flyover at Bakery Junction is aimed at easing the heavy traffic volume at the intersection which often results in an extended gridlock along the connecting roads from Punnen Road, Vazhuthacaud, Thampanoor and Palayam. According to the project survey, the 465-metre-long flyover will bring down the traffic volume at the junction by 26 to 37 per cent. The current volume is estimated at 7,000 PCU (passenger car units).
Deceiving deadlines is not new to the Bakery Junction flyover. Deadlines for completing the work of this flyover had been changed many a time owing to reasons ranging from land acquisition to non-availability of quality labourers. Now, on the brink of the inauguration, a surprise villain has emerged to defy the final deadline. The incessant summer rain in the capital is all set to delay the opening of the flyover scheduled for May 31.Officials of the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL), the private consortium executing the work of the 520-m flyover, said the rain, which came much ahead of the monsoon, had disrupted their plans to carry out tarring at the flyover and the work of the approach road at the Panchapura Junction. “It would take only three days to complete the tarring and related works. But there must not be any rain for 24 hours to make it possible. Also, we can’t take up the levelling and land-filling works at the Panchapura Junction in this weather,” TRDCL vice-president Anil Kumar Pandala said . There was rain which was disrupting the work. The Meteorological Department has predicted rain in the coming days too. If that happens, the plans of the TRDCL to work overtime to make up for the lost time will be spoilt. The only chance to complete the work on time is rain taking a break for three or four days from Thursday. After that, monsoon will hit the State.
I think that there is some supernatural power like that of an alien or bhoot with the Fly over which keeps the dream of traveling on the Flyover as just that..a dream.
Posted Under: CitizenSpeak, News
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Rain takes up inauguratuion of Bakery Fly over
Built on 13 concrete piers, the 510-metre-long flyover has an 11-metre-wide carriageway with concrete crash
What’s the rain got to to with the opening of the flyover. It should have been opened and functional a long time ago.
on May 30th, 2010Any way, at least the fly-over is completed now ! That itself is a big thing.
on June 1st, 2010Alas..!! Its gona get completed by this Thursday June 3rd !!
on June 1st, 2010That s wot i read from news.
Tomorrow !! Thursday June 3rd !! :-O
on June 2nd, 2010Kidding ??
Well..that is wot is according to the current schedule, after it got delayed again from May31st..!! Seems like the widening of MG Road frm Spencer Jnc to Overbridge which was scheduled to be completed by June 15, wil be delayed too.
on June 2nd, 2010But, I have never seen/heard of any such
Projects in the city which has undergone this much sufferings, other than this Fly-Over..:-o
Hop it does’nt get delayed anymore.