Much-needed development of road infrastructure in Vattiyoorkavu – one
of the fastest developing regions of the capital city – is set to be
taken up with the widening of three roads, totalling 15 km, branching
off from the Vattiyoorkavu Junction.

 Land acquisition for road
development will be kicked off soon. The development of the roads to
Sasthamangalam, Vayalikkada and Nettayam is being taken up in the second
phase of the Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Programme
(T-CRIP) which will be rolled out soon, officials of the
Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) said.

 T-CRIP
Phase II plans to develop around 150 km of capital city roads.’’These
roads have to be widened. T-CRIP Phase I developed 42.6 km of roads in
the capital and on the eastern side, the roads have been developed up to
Sasthamangalam. In fact, we’ve received administrative sanction for the
work and TRIDA has been appointed nodal agency for the land
acquisition. We hope to start it within two weeks,’’ said TRIDA chairman
P K Venugopal.

 Touted to become a satellite township in its own
right in the near future, Vattiyoorkavu has been witnessing heavy
activity in the past two years, especially in the housing sector. But
many of the roads here leave much to be desired. The local people list
at least four roads that require urgent attention from the authorities:
Vattiyoorkavu Junction to Vayalikkada, Vattoyoorkavu Junction to
Kulasekharam, Vattiyoorkavu Junction to Polytechnic and the road from
Manjadimoola to Manrakkonam School.

 ‘’During peak hours, these
roads are choked with vehicles. The Vattiyoorkavu Junction itself
requires attention. In fact, small changes like shifting of the market
and the bus stop from there itself will improve things a lot,’’ said P
Jayadevan Nair, a resident of PTP Nagar and cultural wing convener of  
the Federation of Residents Associations Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT).

 ‘’The region also requires more traffic policemen,’’ he said.

 It
is projected that Vattiyoorkavu would develop into a satellite township
in the near future with the city expanding outwards. The going price
for land has already risen in the area, touching Rs 5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh
for a cent in interior regions.