Councillors to stage stir demanding steps to decongest Vyttila Junction

While neither the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) nor the National Highways (NH) wing of the Public Works Department (PWD) have taken steps to redevelop the Vyttila Junction or decongest it, newly elected councilors from four wards in and around the area will hold a hunger strike at the junction on January 28. The intersection is considered the busiest intersection in the state.

Mayor VK Minimol is among those expected to visit the action area. This will be followed by a video presentation on the measures to be taken to decongest the intersection and make it signal-free in the first week of February.

The presentation will be organized by the Vyttila United Forum, a confederation of residents’ associations, trade unions, political organizations and councillors. Deputy Councilor Chandran, who represents Vyttila (Section 46) in the Kochi Municipal Corporation, said motorists expected a hassle-free journey when the six-lane flyover at the junction was commissioned five years ago.

“However, the unscientific redevelopment of junctions has made the situation worse for drivers and pedestrians alike. Numerous studies carried out by various government departments and assurances from Ministers that their recommendations will be implemented have turned out to be a farce,” he said.

Traffic congestion and chaos at the intersection and on the roads leading to the intersections have worsened. He demanded that in this case, the State government should approve the ₹ 1 crore project presented by the PWD NH wing to tear down a portion of the massive medians under the flyover and add space to the carriageway.

Steps should also be taken to dismantle and relocate the traffic police watch tower extending towards the carriageway for vehicles moving towards Palarivattom from Thripunithura, Aroor and Vyttila towards SA Road. These measures will significantly reduce waiting time at signal lights from three directions. Mr. Chandran also said that the traffic police or Motor Vehicles department (MVD) should install countdown timers on all signal lights to avoid wastage of fuel.

video presentation

Referring to the proposed video presentation in early February, Vyttila United Forum president Thampy VR said the aim was to draw the attention of the State government, PWD and NHAI, which owns the Edapally-Vyttila-Aroor NH 66 Ring Road, to the chaos prevailing at the poorly planned junction where more than half a dozen major roads meet.

The study done

A recent study conducted by the forum revealed that around 1.5 lakh vehicles a day pass through the junction, which features an unscientifically designed flyover and incompatibility with the roads below. In addition to traffic disruptions and accidents, this situation also led many merchants to close their stores in the region.

The study found that nearly 80% of vehicles were plying through the east-west intersection, causing traffic disruptions from Champakkara on Thripunithura Road to Elamkulam on SA Road. He added that east-west traffic will flow smoothly once the intersection is made signal-free through optimum use of U-turns in different directions.