With the work of the proposed Kochi Metro Rail expecting to be
launched this year, the infrastructure facilities of the city should be
improved so as to facilitate the effective implementation of the
project.

The stakeholders of city’s development are pinning their
hopes on the state government’s Budget that will be presented by Finance
Minister K M Mani on Friday for major allocations for key
infrastructure projects.

“Improvement of infrastructure
facilities, including the construction of flyovers and  development of
major junctions, is the need of  the hour. Among this, the government is
likely to make provisions for flyover at Kundannoor, Edappally, Vyttila
and Palarivattom junctions. With land acquisition will be a major
hurdle for road development in the future due to high cost of land, the
state should support the flyover projects which will decongest these
major junctions where heavy traffic snarls are a common sight,” experts
say.

According to them, the Seaport-Airport Road, the work of
which was commenced some 10 years ago is yet to be completed and land
acquisition was the major hurdle in front of the project.

The work
was expected to be completed in four phases. The first phase between
Karingachira and HMT Junction was completed years back.  But the stretch
between HMT Junction and Nedumbassery airport, airport outskirts and
Angamaly and Karingachira and Kundanoor are yet to be completed.

If
the project is completed vehicles coming from Alappuzha can go to
Thrissur without touching Ernakulam, Kalamassery, Aluva and Angamaly.

The
Kochi Metro Rail Limited authorities are also expecting allocation for
land acquisition in this year’s budget. As the Central Government’s
funds cannot be used for land acquisition, the state will have to
provide the funds for the purpose and an amount worth Rs 3000 crore is
expected to be allotted for the Metro Rail.

The Greater Cochin
Development Authority (GCDA) is also expecting the state government’s
help for some key infrastructure projects mooted by them, including the
Ring Road project.

Likewise, the Corporation is also expecting
fund allocation for land acquisition for completing some major
infrastructure projects like the construction of  Rail Overbridges
including Atlantis RoB. “Some key projects carried forward under
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) are now at a
standstill owing to the lack of funds for land acquisition. Hope this
year’s budget will address these concerns,” said a top Corporation
official.