CRIP skips another deadline

The City Road Improvement Project (CRIP) is going through a delayed phase. As yet another deadline passes on Saturday, the project, which has brought major changes to the city, is stuck at several roadblocks.

One of the senior officials of the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) admitted that the project was lagging. “Rain is one of the major reasons for the delay in works after Onam. Utility-shifting and other issues are creating hurdles on several roads,” said  Madhavan Pillai, project engineer of KRFB.

Of the total 42.05 km, 14.26 km of road was commissioned in the first phase. The second phase includes 18 km and third phase 9.79 km. “Of the 18 km in second phase, BC (laying of Bituminous Concrete) work on 15 km has been completed. Only construction of footpath remains. Of the 9.79 km stretch in the third phase, BC works on 2.5 km have been completed,” Pillai said.

Owing to various issues, the KRFB has failed to hand over land to the concessionaire, Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL).

The Thampanoor-Aristo Road has been in a totally dilapidated state for the past three years. Drainage work of Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and JICA-assisted water works are causing inordinate delay to the road work in this area. Shifting of a temporary bus shelter is hampering the construction of drains on the road in front of Thampanoor bus stand.

Along the Vanchiyoor-Pattoor stretch, shifting of a cemetery from the site proposed for widening of the road is the hurdle.

A group of environmentalists had opposed the felling of 54 trees on the Vanchiyoor stretch. The KRFB has not resolved the issue. Widening of MG Road from Overbridge to East Fort cannot be materialised unless the traders in the area are rehabilitated. The construction of the Thakaraparambu flyover is expected to take around two years.

Meanwhile, lack of co-ordination between  various government departments is also posing a major hurdle. KWA has recently dug up a newly-constructed road at Murinjapalam. Digging up tarred roads for utility works is nothing new in the history of CRIP.

Adviser of CRIP N S Sreenivasan is expected to reach the city again in October to review the work.