Tvm Corporation plans pedestrian flyover at Medical College Junction

In a move that has raised several eyebrows, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is going ahead with plans to construct an escalator-equipped pedestrian foot overbridge at the bustling Medical College Junction. What makes this decision controversial is that the proposed structure lies directly along the alignment of the city’s upcoming Metro Rail project, where secondary construction is technically restricted.

The Town Planning Standing Committee recently decided to invite expressions of interest from government-approved agencies to conduct a feasibility study for the overbridge. This decision, which has now received formal clearance from the Corporation Council, follows a resolution passed during a road safety meeting chaired by the District Collector.

A clash of transit plans
The proposed Thiruvananthapuram Metro route spans from Kazhakkootam to Pappanamcode, passing through Kariyavattom, Sreekaryam, Ulloor, Medical College, Pattom, Palayam, and Thampanoor. Designed as an elevated network supported by pillars to minimise disruption to ground-level traffic, the Metro alignment could face structural conflicts with a pedestrian overbridge at the same junction. The civic body is yet to offer a logical explanation as to how these two major infrastructures will co-exist without hindering each other.

The demand for a safe pedestrian crossing at Medical College Junction is not new. Patients, their families, and hospital bystanders have long struggled to cross the chaotic road, prompting several previous proposals for an overbridge. However, these plans were consistently shelved in the past to avoid complicating the Metro Rail alignment. While the need for pedestrian safety remains critical, critics question the sudden revival of the project without prior clearance from Metro authorities. In a separate development, plans are also underway to build a private bus terminal at East Fort to ease traffic congestion.

Councillors kept in the dark
Adding to the confusion, Medical College ward councillor SS Sindhu stated that she had not been officially briefed about the corporation's renewed push for the overbridge. The busy junction is split administratively, with one side falling under the Medical College ward and the other under the Pattom ward. The lack of coordination between the civic body's planning committee and local ward representatives has drawn criticism as residents and commuters await clarity on how the twin infrastructure projects will be synchronised.