THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The acute shortage of rock and soil has hampered the pace of development work of the under-construction NH-66 stretch from Kazhakootam to Kadampattukonam near Parippally in Kollam. The work is going on at a slow pace due to insufficient resources.
The Attingal bypass construction, which is part of this project, is the worst affected as it requires a large amount of rock and soil. The contractor, RDS Projects Limited, responsible for procuring the raw materials, has intimated the prevailing crisis to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). An NHAI official said the authority will facilitate all assistance to the contractor to overcome the crisis.
“Currently, there is a shortage of construction materials, especially soil and rock. The Mining and Geology Department has put some restrictions at soil mines. The Tamil Nadu government’s ban on quarries has also affected the work. However, we are carrying out the work with maximum resources. We have just started laying bitumen on the service roads at a certain section of the Attingal bypass and gravel on the service roads at Mangalapuram.
A large amount of soil is also needed to raise the road level in many areas, including Pallipuram and Thonnakkal. Similarly, we would need a large quantity of rock for laying gravel and bitumen. The construction of a bridge across the Vamanapuram River is nearing completion. The pillars have already been finished. But the entire work can be completed before the deadline in January 2025 only if we get raw materials within two months,” said an official of RDS Projects Limited.
According to a senior NHAI official, the NHAI will assist the contractor in facilitating the resources for the construction. “We are working with various government and non-governmental agencies to procure the soil and rock required for construction. If the contractor is finding it difficult to procure the materials, we will assist them so that the work can gain pace. However, we will stick to our deadline, and any delay will not be entertained,” the official said.
As per the agreement between Kerala and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the state has to facilitate all applicable permits required from any local body and should assist the NHAI in obtaining access to utilities, including stones, soil, and electricity. But the proceedings from the state government are also going slower.
The 29-km stretch will have four flyovers, 36 culverts, six minor bridges, three vehicle overpasses, five vehicle underpasses, six light-vehicle underpasses, four small-vehicle underpasses, three cattle underpasses, a 29-km-long service road, 20 bus bays, and 5-feet overbridge on the 11.15-km-long Attingal bypass. RDS Projects Limited was awarded the contract for Rs 990 crore. The stretch is slated to be widened to 45 metres to facilitate six-lane traffic. The construction of the underpass at MLA Palam in the bypass is nearing completion, and work on the bridge is also underway.
Once the road is widened, the travel time from Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram, which normally takes 90-105 minutes during peak hours, will be reduced by 20-30 minutes. The Kazhakkoottam-Parippally road project has been conceived so that the NH deviates from the Mamom junction to a bypass road. From there, long-distance travellers need not touch Attingal town, a major traffic bottleneck. They will rejoin the main road at Ayamkonam, near Kallambalam.