Work on overbridges at Atlantis, Vaduthala likely to begin this year

RBDCK to award tenders for overbridges at Atlantis and Vaduthala in Kochi, uncertainty remains over Vathuruthy Bridge.

The Roads and Bridges Development Corporation (RBDCK) would award tenders this year for constructing the long-overdue overbridges at Atlantis and Vaduthala in the city. But uncertainty still looms over the fate of Vathuruthy Bridge in Willingdon Island, reportedly due to hassles associated with land acquisition.

The overbridge at Atlantis would open up a new bridge parallel to the bottlenecked two-lane overbridge at Ernakulam South, which is flanked by four-lane roads on either side. Traffic hold ups on either side of the bridge is common, despite the commissioning of A.L. Jacob bridge on its northern side. Once ready, the Atlantis bridge would provide a seamless link between Panampilly Nagar with MG Road considerably augmenting the east-west connectivity in the city.

This would in turn decongest South Bridge, and enable vehicles from S.A. Road and Panampilly Nagar to reach Thevara and West Kochi faster. It would also lessen congestion at Thevara Junction, where vehicles jostle for space, the sources said.

The Vaduthala overbridge is expected to decongest densely-populated areas in the northern parts of the city. Its alignment had been changed a year ago, keeping in mind the project to lay a third rail track in the Ernakulam-Shoranur corridor.

It had been decided in 2023 to ready a new alignment for Vathuruthy overbridge, after taking into account the concerns raised by the Indian Navy about the height of the bridge. There were apprehensions that it could affect the movement of aircraft from the nearby naval airport. The sources said constructing an underpass here was risky, due to flooding. An alternative would be for vehicles from either side to take a U turn through the road in front of Harbour Terminus railway station.