Title - A new bridge offers leeway to Chinnakada

Work on the much-awaited Police Commissioner’s Office junction (SP office junction earlier) overbridge across the Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram railway track in the city has been completed, and the bridge is expected to be opened to traffic by Onam.The overbridge is expected to ease significantly the traffic congestion on the Chinnakada stretch.It also provides an easy link to the city for the people of the thickly populated Mundakkal-Tillery areas, who had to cross four level crossings between the Commissioner office junction and Polayathodu. When the level crossings were closed, they had to take the roundabout route through Kochupilamoodu to reach Chinnakada or even the railway station, which is just across the junction. Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) (Bridges) in charge of building the overbridge said only a few small works remained. These included the wearing coat, which is provided over concrete bridge decks to protect the structure from wear and tear caused by traffic.When opened to traffic, the overbridge will enable vehicles bound for other destinations via Kollam city to bypass Chinnakada. But linking the overbridge to the National Highway near the Town Hall stretch will necessitate a new junction with a traffic island. The city Corporation has handed over 42 cents of land from the Cantonment Maidan to the PWD for the junction, and work has begun. Traffic signals will be installed to ensure an accident-free junction. Not only vehicles entering the NH from the bridge, but also those coming from the SN College junction and proceeding towards Chinnakada will need to be regulated.

Vehicles bound for the SN College junction from Chinnakada will have to be stopped at intervals to allow the vehicles from the bridge to enter that course. Entry of vehicles from the bridge to the NH will also be regulated by traffic signals. Facility for vehicles coming down the bridge to take a U-turn and proceed to Chinnakada will also be provided.

At the Kochupilamoodu end of the bridge, construction of retaining walls on either side of the embankment laid as part of the approach road to the bridge is nearing completion. The overbridge comprises 21 spans, of which one across the railway line was constructed by Railways. The remaining portion has been constructed by the State government at Rs.14.25 crore.

The overbride project was mooted in 1994 and the stone was laid in 2003.