East Fort foot overbridge project caught in KRFB, corp tug of war

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The two-month deadline set by the High Court to decongest the busy East Fort Junction in the state capital has ended. But the proposal to set up two more foot overbridges, one of the key recommendations to improve pedestrian safety, hangs fire because of a lack of clarity on the agency supposed to implement the project. According to the HC order issued on July 30, the state government had to begin the construction of two additional foot overbridges, one near the Chalai Road and another at Pazhavangadi, within two months. The Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), the custodian of the road, has passed the buck to the Thiruvananthapuram corporation for the implementation of the project. A KRFB official told TNIE that the process to finalise the estimate for the foot overbridge project is progressing. It is learnt that the overbridges will cost around Rs 75 lakh each, with the lack of funds landing the agencies in trouble. We dont have the funding to execute the project. The existing foot overbridge was executed by the city corporation and hence we have written to the corporation, urging them to take up the project. We are yet to get a response from them. It will cost around Rs 1.5 crore to set up the foot overbridges. Both bridges should be equipped with lifts, with power connection and timely maintenance, the KRFB official said. An official with the transport commissionerate said many interventions were made at East Fort following the HC order to enhance pedestrian safety and decongest the junction. We have barricaded the KSRTC bus bay scientifically and have earmarked a separate location on the Attakulangara side for private bus operations, the official said. A team of top officials from the public works department and the transport department visited East Fort recently. The public works department is planning to assign the city corporation with the implementation of the foot overbridge project. The existing foot overbridge was constructed using CSR funds and the other two bridges can also be built that way, the official said.