THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The brand new road being developed from Mukkola to Karode - set to be the first concrete highway in the state and also a gamechanger in Kerala’s road connectivity to Kanyakumari - has a dubious distinction, of not meeting the many deadlines set one after the other. Strangely, the delay in procuring red soil to complete just 1.5km is dragging the opening of the 16.3 km concrete stretch of NH66 which is part of the ambitious Mumbai-Kanyakumari Economic Corridor. The National Highways Authority of India is doubtful of meeting its latest deadline of December.
Even as 96 per cent of the construction of the second phase of NH66bypass - Mukkola-Karode stretch - has been completed, the Geology Department is yet to give nod to procure red sand for the remaining area. Besides, the local people’s demand to construct a major junction at Thirupuram remains a concern for the highway authority.
P Pradeep, NHAI project director, said the geology department has again stopped the procurement of red earth for the remaining work at different points. “In addition, the uproar for not constructing a junction at Thirupuram coupled with the land acquisition issue at the same place for service road keeps dragging the project,” he said.
CPM and Congress workers are demanding a major junction at Thirupuram so as to allow easy entry and exit for people travelling to and from Neyyattinkara, Poovar. “The NHAI had proposed a junction here and scrapped it later. This highway could be beneficial to the local people only if we could enter or exit the highway. Then only, we will allow the construction of service roads,” T Stephen, a resident said. Meanwhile, Youth Congress workers staged a sit-in in front of NHAI regional office at Pettah on Monday against resuming toll collection until the entire stretch from Kazhakootam to Karode is open to traffic.