PWD, govt. under fire as accidents abound on Seaport-Airport Road

Danger lurks along the stretch in the form of potholes and road shoulders; three persons were killed in the past week in the 11.50-km corridor; PWD yet to get ₹7.50 crore estimated for resurfacing the road 

The authorities are turning a blind eye to ensuring safety along the narrow and ill-lit Seaport-Airport Road, despite the corridor becoming a death trap for motorists and pedestrians.

Three persons were killed in the past week in the 11.50-km corridor that extends from Kalamassery to Irumpanam, while a tense situation prevailed after a tanker lorry carrying 40,000 litres of ethanol precariously tilted to one side after its driver reportedly miscalculated the width of the road.

Danger lurks all along the road in the form of potholes and road shoulders, which are at a much lower level than the carriageway, overgrowth of weeds and shrubs that hamper visibility, and ill-planned, accident-prone junctions. The Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK), which developed the road two decades ago as a two-lane corridor with 10-metre width, had acquired land at 30-metre width. After widening the 2.50-km Kalamassery-Bharat Mata College portion as a four-lane stretch, it handed over the stretch to the PWD (Roads wing) in 2020 for further development.

But its further widening as a four-lane stretch remains elusive, while the PWD is struggling even to get ₹7.50 crore that is estimated for resurfacing the existing two-lane, accident-prone corridor. Enraged at this, many organisations, including Ernakulam District Residents Associations’ Apex Council (EDRAAC) repeatedly registered their protest against the delay in widening the corridor that runs parallel to Edappally-Aroor NH 66 Bypass and its elusive extension to the airport.

An Motor Vehicles department (MVD) team led by then Regional Transport Officer (RTO) had submitted a report to the government, suggesting the dire need to repair the road, reinforce its shoulders, clear impediments to safety, and to widen Collectorate Junction by pushing back the compound wall of the Collectorate by five metres. This report and another one submitted by the PWD to the government to ready an underpass at the junction, remain on paper.

Expressing anguish at the increasing accidents on the stretch, MVD sources said investigations revealed how potholes, undulating paver blocks, inadequate road markings, and reflectors added to the narrow road becoming among the most accident-prone in the district. “The government is dilly-dallying in widening the road, despite a bulk of vehicles being tanker lorries that carry hazardous cargo. Even worse, two lanes can be added to Collectorate Junction, if minimal land is acquired from the Collectorate, Legal Metrology Department, Kerala Media Academy and RBDCK. The project can be realised at as low as ₹1 crore, provided the government took a policy decision. It will lessen congestion and accidents, while saving fuel and time,” they said.

PWD officials said they were helpless unless the government approved the ₹7.50-crore project to resurface the road and strengthen its shoulders. “The entire 11.50-km stretch also needs street lights, while we hope the government allots funds at least in the 2023 budget for an underpass at Collectorate Junction and for four-laning the entire corridor,” they added.