KOCHI: In what can be termed as a cheaper but revolutionary move towards speeding up the implementation of the Atlantis Railway Overbridge (RoB) project, the authorities are planning to reduce the width of the proposed bridge. The plan is to realign the width to 12 metre instead of the originally proposed 22m. Once the construction of the Atlantis RoB is over, it is expected to offer another entry point to the city and will help avoid the bottlenecks at the South ROB.A top official with the Corporation has said that realigning the width would help reduce the cost of land acquisition considerably. “Land acquisition is the major challenge for the Corporation in implementing the Atlantis RoB project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The government had already allocated `45 crore for land takeover. But that is not enough if we go for a 22m-wide bridge,” he said.Over two acres of land should be acquired if the Corporation opts for 22m-wide bridge. “The total project cost is estimated at `18 crore, of which the Centre will bear 50 percent expenses. But the cost of land acquisition will be three to four times higher than the total project cost. Hence, realigning the bridge will be a feasible idea,” he said. The official said the Corporation can also look into the possibilities of handing over the work of the Atlantis RoB to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL). JNNURM NormsThe Corporation town planning committee chairman K J Sohan has said the JNNURM rules allow alterations in either of the two components - gradient or width. “According to the Centre’s guidelines for JNNURM RoBs, it is mandatory to maintain either a gradient of 1:30 or a 22 metre width. Since we have the option to sacrifice one of the components, realigning the width will be a practical idea that will help speed up the project,” he said.For a congested city like Kochi, the only alternative before the authorities is to provide multiple access to major areas.“The new RoB that will connect Salimrajan Road with Rajaji Road and the Atlantis RoB will act as new access points to the city,” he said.South RoB WideningThe KMRL authorities had earlier stated that they would look into the possibilities of widening the South RoB as part of the proposed Kochi Metro Rail project. It was after a meeting held with the members of various civil society organisations that KMRL managing director Tom Jose said he would check the possibility of reconstructing the railway overbridge. The suggestion to rebuild the South ROB was put forth by the participants during the meeting as the bridge can never be reconstructed once the Metro Rail lines are drawn.
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