KOCHI: Bringing relief to commuters, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) plans to open the Chalakudy Bridge on NH-44 to traffic by mid-May. Kochi-based company EKK Ltd., which took over the construction work from Guruvayur Infrastructure Ltd., expressed confidence that the construction of the bridge would be completed before the monsoon.
“The development of a strengthened earthen wall is advancing at a rapid rate. It can be completed by the end of this month. Subsequently, the laying of metal and other tasks, such as the construction of barriers, will be carried out. We anticipate that the entire project will be finished by May 15, before the onset of monsoon season,” stated Antony Pius, vice-president of Operations at EKK Ltd.
The construction project for the bridge was initially awarded to Guruvayur Infrastructure Ltd. (GIL), but the company failed to complete the project on time and the contract was given to EKK. However, the construction faced a significant setback when two local grama panchayats issued a stop memo that restricted the excavation of soil for the project. The Pariyaram grama panchayat imposed a ban on heavy vehicles along the Peearmozhi-Kottamala road, while the Thrikkur panchayat issued a stop memo to EKK for not consulting with panchayat officials before taking permission from the district administration.
“It was after the intervention of district administration and the geology department that we were able to fill the road with soil. The delay in getting sufficient soil on time has affected the completion of the project. Though our earlier plan was to execute the project by March, it got delayed by two months. The stop-order memo from the panchayat has resulted in a `2 crore loss for the company,” said Ajeesh, project coordinator, EKK. The recurring hurdles encountered in building the Chalakudy bridge have become a source of distress for travellers on the roadway that links Kochi to Palakkad.