NHAI provides free left turns on three corners of Nanthoor junction in the city

NHAI completes free left-turns at Nanthoor junction to ease traffic congestion, prepares for grade separator work.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Saturday, June 7, completed the work on providing free left-turns on the three corners of the jinxed Nanthoor junction in the city. Another corner at the junction, Kadri Malliatte towards Surathkal, already had free left-turn.

With the consistent delay in launching the proposed grade separator work at Nanthoor junction where Kochi-Panvel National Highway 66, Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75, and the Mangaluru-Mercara Trunk Road (from Kadri) meet, Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta had asked the NHAI to provide free left turns at the Junction to ensure smooth vehicular movement.

With the rains abating since a week, the NHAI took up the earth work initially and almost completed free-left turn works by Saturday evening. With this, vehicles from Surathkal on NH 66 could easily move towards B.C. Road bypass (NH 75), those from B.C. Road towards Pumpwell (NH 66) and vehicles from Pumpwell could move towards Kadri Mallikatte. The authority, through contractor M/s Mugrodi Constructions, has provided bitumen concrete layer for the free-left turns.

The free-left turns on all four corners of the Nanthoor junction was expected to considerably reduce the traffic gridlock the junction used to witness, particularly during the morning and evening peak hours.

Meanwhile, the NHAI was working on providing shoulder drains along NH 66 and NH 75 towards taking up the grade separator work. Drainage work could be done even during the rains and by the time rainy season ends, the drains should be ready, said an official.

Thereafter, the authority would build service roads to divert the traffic from the main carriageways for earth excavation to construct the grade separator, the official added.