THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-awaited elevated highway at Kazhakootam is all set to open to traffic on November 15. Earlier, the 2.72-km four-lane highway, from Technopark phase-III to CSI mission hospital at Kazhakootam towards Kollam, was scheduled to open on November 1. The date was postponed due to some delay in work on the approach road on the northern side of the highway at Kazhakootam due to unavailability of soil. However, other works, including the approach roads on both sides, are nearing completion.
The tarring of the highway has been finished, and street lights are erected on the median as well as on the side walls. The bitumen laying of the service roads on both sides will begin within the next week, and work on the main road beneath the flyover is underway.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) project director P Pradeep told TNIE that the only major work pending is the construction of an approach road on the northern side of the highway. All major construction projects, including the southern approach road, have been completed. “Now, the works, including soil filling on the northern side, are in progress. It will finish in a few weeks. The other tasks are finishing touches, including re-tarring, marking lanes, and beautification. We can open the highway to traffic on November 15,” he said.
Meanwhile, the tender proceedings for the proposed three underpasses, which are part of the elevated highway, are underway, and the construction is expected to start within three months. Three low vehicle underpasses (LVUD) are scheduled to come up at Attinkuzhy, Technopark phase-III, and Mukkolakkal to ensure a risk-free crossing of the freeway.
The state government has to foot the expenses of the highway. The elevated highway, which will be the longest four-lane highway in the state, is being built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana Scheme.
However, the proposal to set up street lamps on NH-66 bypass median from Kazhakootam to Vizhinjam through public-private-participation (PPP) mode is still hanging in the balance due to a dispute between the corporation and NHAI. Earlier, TNIE had reported that Adani and Lulu Group had come forward to erect street lights on the condition that they be allowed to display their advertisement hoardings on streetlight poles. Though the city corporation has put forth suggestions for erecting street lights and submitted them to the NHAI, the highway authority is yet to take a decision.