THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-delayed work of second phase six-lane NH66 bypass stretch starting from Mukkola near Vizhinjam to Karode near Kerala-Tamil Nadu border is likely to be commissioned in the last week of May.
According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), all hurdles have been cleared and the construction of the first concrete road in the state has picked up steady pace with only five kilometres of the stretch pending.
Once this 16.3-kilometre road is opened, the commuters coming from North Kerala could bypass Thiruvananthapuram city for going to Tamil Nadu via Kanyakumari at a lesser time and without traffic congestion.
The stretch will also enable the smooth transportation of containers and trucks once the Vizhinjam international seaport is operational as another road construction is in progress connecting the port and the NH bypass.
P Pradeep, project director, NHAI told The New Indian Express that the stretch would be commissioned by May last. “We are working tirelessly to complete the pending work before monsoon. So our new deadline is the last week of May as all the hurdles have been cleared. The two main hurdles were in obtaining permission from the Geology department to procure red earth for the construction and the opposition from local residents in demolishing a bridge at Plavila near Kanjiramkulam. However, the bridge has been razed with the help of police protection following government order. Now we could move ahead with the road work,” he said.
Due to protests, the road work near Kanjiramkulam remained suspended for the past three years. Despite the protests from locals, the NHAI went ahead with demolishing the bridge. Earlier, the NHAI had agreed to construct an overpass near the spot and submitted a proposal to the government to consider it as a standalone project.
Similarly, the permission from the government in taking red earth, the main component for building the road, has also been pending for a long time. Now, the NHAI has secured permission from the Geology Department. Earlier, the insufficient number of labourers due to the pandemic, local protests, rain and delay in permissions from various agencies put the project in a deadlock.
L&T, which is executing the work is also developing the remaining part of the bypass that extends to Kanyakumari. The road widening project was started in July 2017. Besides various underpasses and flyovers, one major bridge across the Neyyar river and a flyover near Kanjiramkulam were constructed as part of the project.
Concrete plans
Mukkola-Karode is the first concrete highway project in Kerala
Bypass stretch from Kazhakootam to Karode is part of Mumbai-Kanyakumari NH66 corridor
Once completed, it will ease bypass traffic for commuters from north Kerala proceeding to Kanyakumari
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set aside I65,000 crore
in the budget for NH in state
L&T undertaking work between Mukkola and Kanyakumari