KOCHI: With the completion of the concrete work of the remaining span of Vyttila flyover, the contractors are pushing hard to finish the project before the revised deadline of August 31. Though the works were resumed with special permission from the state government, the Public Works Department (PWD) officials extended the deadline owing to Covid-19 restrictions. The Kundannoor flyover will be opened for traffic on June 30.
PWD officials are upbeat about completing the projects by the updated deadline.
“We are moving ahead with the new schedule and have asked contractors to complete the work on time even if it means guarding the flyover against the monsoon with a tarpaulin. We have also addressed the scarcity of essential materials and are awaiting their arrival from other states following special permission for interstate transportation,” said a PWD official.
A representative of Sreedhanya Constructions, the contractor of Vyttila flyover, said almost 90 per cent of the project is over. “Other than the rubberised tarring with mastic asphalt, only the handrails and electrification are left to be done at the Palarivattom side,” said the representative. Despite the curbs on transporting materials owing to Covid-19, works worth `15 crore were finished after construction resumed on April 11.
A representative of Marymatha Constructions, the contractor of Kundannoor flyover, said after the redesigning of the approach road towards Aroor, they were sticking to the schedule to meet the June 30 deadline. “We have managed to procure the essential raw materials and are awaiting the arrival of tar and mastic asphalt,” the representative said.
Lately, the projects had been hit by the scarcity of essential raw materials, the exodus of migrant labourers and delay in getting the funds from Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Now, the delay by officials in approving the bills remains an issue for the contractors.“Despite repeated promises, bills worth `13 crore in each project are pending before the KIIFB. This has affected the purchase of essential raw materials. Besides the required quantity of tar, floor tiles and a few other materials need to be purchased soon,” said a source.
Delay in projects
The work of Vyttila flyover began on December 11, 2017, with May 2019 as the deadline. The government later extended the deadline to December 2019 and then to March 2020. The deadline of Kundannoor flyover, was extended from March 11 to April 30. Both the deadlines have now been revised.