A pedestrian crossing is being created on the National Highway in front of the Aroor panchayat office in Kerala’s Alappuzha district after a section of the concrete median was demolished to allow people to cross the road more directly. The work was carried out near pillar number 39 beneath the Aroor-Thuravoor elevated highway, according to a report by Mathrubhumi.
The concrete on both sides of the median at the selected point was removed on Tuesday to create a passage for pedestrians. The edges of the demolished section will be smoothed with cement, after which zebra lines are expected to be painted on the highway. The crossing is intended to provide a safer route for people who currently have to take a longer circuit or negotiate barriers at the junction.
Aroor temple junction is one of the busy intersections along the National Highway. Several buses travelling from Cherthala terminate their services in the area, bringing passengers from the eastern parts of Aroor constituency to the junction. Many of these passengers need to cross the highway to continue towards Ernakulam.
People travelling from Thuravoor through Aroor towards Aroorkutty for education, employment and other purposes also need to cross the road. In the absence of a dedicated crossing, pedestrians were required either to walk around the junction or to cross through barriers installed there. The demand for a pedestrian crossing in front of the panchayat office had therefore gained momentum among residents and regular road users.
The opening in the median follows recognition of the need for a formal pedestrian route at the location. The report does not identify the specific authority that ordered or carried out the work, but states that the action was taken after the requirement for a crossing was understood.
Pedestrians have also requested measures to prevent two-wheelers from using the new passage. They suggested that a single line of brickwork could be installed for this purpose. Similar arrangements are present at some pedestrian crossings between Aroor and Thuravoor, while crossings without such a barrier have reportedly been used by two-wheelers, reducing the space available to people on foot.
The change comes as road works continue around Aroor temple junction. The eastern edge of the National Highway, which had been demolished over a stretch of about 100 metres north of the junction in recent days, was tarred on Tuesday. The pedestrian crossing will become operational after the median edges are finished and the zebra lines are marked.
