KOCHI: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's statement on Wednesday that the Rs 48 crore will be allotted for the land acquisition for the much-delayed Atlantis Railway Overbridge (RoB) project will give a new lease of life to it. The Atlantis RoB was proposed to reduce traffic congestion on either side of the Ernakulam South Overbridge. If the RoB project becomes a reality, vehicles from the Sahodaran Ayyappan Road moving towards Thevara and Ravipuram will be able to take a left turn from Manorama Junction and reach the Atlantis bridge through Panampilly Nagar. The bridge, which is expected to decongest the city to a considerable extent, will also be a relief to commuters coming from Girinagar.A top Corporation official said that the decision to allot funds for the acquisition of land will give a thrust to the project. "The Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation (KITCO) had already completed the project report for the Atlantis and Pachalam RoBs as per the instruction of the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK). Now it is the responsibility of the RBDCK to carry the project forward," said the official.However, he said that the initial alignment approved by the Kochi Corporation was later changed as the huge tower with hi-power transmission lines to the Cochin Shipyard was identified as an obstacle. "Relocating the tower would involve a cost of Rs 3 crore.""So they had decided to realign the bridge without touching the tower. But this is expected to make considerable increase in the total cost of construction," the official said.
Comments
0 comment