PALAKKAD: There is no end in sight to the traffic gridlock at Muringoor, a choke point on the Edappally-Thrissur section of National Highway 544, though the situation has eased in other underpass construction sites like Chirangara.
Experts and local residents have blamed “unscientific construction” by the NH contactor, PST Engineering and Constructions, for the situation, with several mishaps being reported from the area.
Unlike in big projects like the Kochi Metro construction, the Tamil Nadu-based firm failed to carry out adequate preparatory work such as widening and repairing service roads before starting underpass construction.
The failure has resulted in heavy traffic blocks at choke points like Muringoor, with the High Court suspending toll collection at the Paliyekkara plaza. Later, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) submitted that it carried out tarring and other maintenance of the service roads, even as the quality of the work has come under the scanner.
“The NHAI contractor carrying out the underpass construction is not adhering to the mandatory Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards. For instance, a portion of the service road at Muringoor, through which vehicles are being diverted, caved in. This after the firm attempted to build a retaining wall even when the site, excavated for a drain cutting across the highway, was filled with storm water,” alleged Saji Raphel T, former additional government pleader and public prosecutor.
“Another reason for slow traffic movement is the initiation of construction activities simultaneously at all five locations. Three underpasses are coming up in a 6-km stretch, from Chirangara to Muringoor, alone. And there is no service road for almost three kilometres, from Divine Nagar to Koratty,” he added.
Newly laid concrete slabs cave in
Meanwhile, multiple incidents were reported of newly laid concrete slabs placed over drains along service roads caving in, from both Muringoor and Chirangara. The latest incident happened last Thursday when a slab at Muringoor caved in around 7 pm.
“An examination of the broken slabs revealed they were made without using iron rods. The authorities had earlier promised the same could support heavy vehicles as well. But the inferior quality slabs are now posing a threat to vehicles as they ride over the slabs through the congested service road. Earlier, a two-wheeler rider fell into the drain after the slab broke. They have replaced the broken slab with an iron grill at one spot in Muringoor while the other damaged pieces were replaced with new ones,” said Denny Jose Veliath, a local resident and vice-president of the BJP Minority Morcha.
Construction waste dumped on service road
Local residents are upset after the contractor dumped construction waste on the service road at the busy Koratty junction. The situation is set to worsen with the annual Koratty Perunnal (church festival) slated to be held in just over a week’s time.
“The authorities had promised to tar the passage near the widened road section, and make it motorable, during a meeting held in September 2024.
“But nothing has been done, and worse, construction waste has been dumped there, cutting the width of the service road by half. Multiple mishaps have happened in the night with vehicles unable to figure out the edge of the road,” said Shaju George Meledan, a representative of the autorickshaw drivers in Koratty.
“The area has nearly 40 households, besides numerous shops. Now, only one-way traffic is possible through the service road left untarred. It is posing difficulty to the residents, and the shop owners have been hit by the dust issue,” said Ouseph Veliyath, who runs a grocery shop.
Shoddy job
The Tamil Nadu-based firm failed to carry out adequate preparatory work such as widening and repairing service roads before starting underpass construction
The failure has resulted in heavy traffic blocks at choke points like Muringoor, with the High Court suspending toll collection at the Paliyekkara plaza