Kannur, Kerala: Of the 137 road flyovers approved by Indian Railways, work is underway on fewer than 20.

Construction of even those flyovers sanctioned ten years ago remains stalled. The primary setback is the lack of prepared blueprints and delays in pursuing land acquisition—both responsibilities of the state government.

This includes 39 new road overbridges (ROBs), for which the Railways have promised a 100 per cent subsidy. While work is indefinitely delayed, vehicles, including ambulances, continue to queue at railway gates.

There are 50 flyovers whose plans have been approved, but construction has not started. In 37 cases, plans have not even been submitted. The Kerala Rail Development Corporation (KRDCL) is responsible for the construction of these flyovers. In projects where the construction cost is fully borne by the Railways, the government must acquire the land. The cost of land will be reimbursed by the Railways. To implement the 50:50 project, the state government is required to acquire land using its own funds.

Many flyovers are still awaiting plan approval (GAD – General Arrangement Drawing), which includes joint site inspections and feasibility reports. Some have progressed to the tender stage. Soil testing is underway for others. Plan approval is partly complete for some under the SilverLine and third-line projects.

Out of the 13 ROBs proposed in Kannur district, only one (at Koduvally) has been completed. More than 124 cents of land were acquired from local landowners for the Koduvally project.

In Kasaragod district, construction has not begun on three projects due to unavailability of land.

The Railways had previously abandoned certain overpass projects where construction had not progressed at all. These projects were initially approved between 2015–16.

The issue was that the state government failed to provide the necessary land. Later, some of these road overpasses were reinstated by designating them as essential projects.

Special Unit

For land acquisition, each project in the districts has a unit of officials led by the Deputy Collector. According to the Revenue Minister’s office, these officers are responsible for ensuring the smooth functioning of the projects.