Title - Road widening vital to monorail project

The widening of the 8-km Kariavattom-Kesavadasapuram stretch of the National Highway is the “most crucial” factor for the completion of the proposed 22.2-km monorail from Technocity to Karamana..The 8-km Route 2 section has to be widened from the existing 11metres to at least 22 metres to accommodate the two-track beams on circular pillars to be erected on the medians along the centre of the road, according to the Principal Adviser, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, E. Sreedharan.The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for widening of the 8-km stretch is being prepared by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac). The project is expected to take at least three years. The civil works can commence only after the road widening as pillars for the monorails have to be erected.Mr. Sreedharan said the Route 2 section would take 5 years for completion while the Route 1 section from Technocity to Kariavattom can be commissioned in 30 months after the turn key contractor is finalised. The Route 3 section of 8 km from Kesavadasapuram to Karamana can be commissioned only along with Route 2, thereby making it a ‘critical factor’ for those taking up the monorail project.The DMRC has suggested that widening of the Kariavattom-Kesavadasapuram stretch should be handed over to a special agency such as the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation Kerala (RBDCK). A special land acquisition officer should be posted for acquiring the land on the 8-km stretch, it said.

Natpac has now agreed to submit the DPR for the road widening within one month, on the intervention of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.