KOCHI: PWD Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju has said that 100 bridges would be commissioned in the coming 400 days.
Speaking at a meeting held in Kochi the other day to review the progress of projects, the Minister said that a monitoring wing at the secretary-level would be set up to ensure prompt completion of the bridges.
There are 182 bridges and flyovers under construction. They are are being built by the PWD and agencies under it. Of these 100 bridges will be completed in a time-bound manner.
“The Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) is building 84 bridges, PWD (Roads and Bridges wing) 57; PWD (NH wing) 24; Kerala State Transport Project 15; and the Kerala Road Fund Board two. An amount of Rs 1,441 crore has been allotted to the PWD for various infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges, and buildings,” Ebrahim Kunju said.
He said the state’s weak financial status did not affect the works and all projects under Mission 676 would be completed on schedule. “Four projects, except Thalassery bypass, taken up under the Sustainable and Planned Effort to Ensure Infrastructure Development- Kerala (SPEEID) scheme would be commissioned in 400 days,” Minister said.
The Minister said approval has been granted for the Rs 700-cr Alappuzha and Kollam bypasses, a joint venture of the State and the Central governments.
This is the first road project being implemented with equal participation of state and Centre. “These bypasses would be completed in 30 months,” he said. “The development of Kazhakuttam-Mukkola bypass in Thiruvananthapuram district into four-lane will begin soon,” he added.
Ebrahim Kunju further said that the construction of Rs 117-crore Ponnani-Kozhikode coastal highway was in progress and land acquisition and topography survey were under way on a few reaches.
The Kerala Road Fund Board had been asked to identify a mega project in each district and prepare a detailed project report.
The Minister said housekeeping and catering at the PWD rest houses would be handed over to the Kudumbasree Mission.