ALAPPUZHA: A commute through the Aroor-Thuravoor stretch of NH 66 is nothing short of a nightmare for travellers. Pothole filled service and parallel roads are resulting in heavy congestion on the highway between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram, leading to immense hardships to commuters.
Locals residents blame the contracting company and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for their lackadaisical attitude towards making alternative arrangements during the ongoing construction of the 12.5km elevated highway.
The absence of proper diversions, coupled with poor road condition and unsafe construction practices, has led to frequent accidents and severe snarl-ups on the stretch.
K P Suresh, a resident of Thuravoor, said the ordeal has persisted for more than two years since the project began.
“Before starting construction, the company and NHAI officials assured us that proper alternatives would be arranged. They promised heavy vehicles would be diverted to avoid congestion. But even now, container lorries and trucks carrying heavy loads ply through the stretch, causing daily traffic blocks. Service roads were also promised, but in most places, they don’t exist. Where they do, they are filled with huge potholes, often waterlogged, making it risky for two-wheelers and pedestrians,” he said.
The construction itself has worsened matters. Heavy machinery occupies much of the carriageway, often halting vehicle movement for hours.
Accidents are also frequent. On Sunday, a 24m-long, 50-tonne iron beam collapsed while being lifted onto girders. Though no one was injured, the incident highlighted the dangers of ongoing works. Just weeks earlier, another beam had slipped during placement.
“Such accidents are regular, and nobody seems concerned about the safety of thousands who travel daily,” said Josemon, a native of Pattanakkad.
Parallel roads underutilised, say officials
Raising the issue, Alappuzha MP K C Venugopal has written to NHAI chairperson Santosh Kumar Yadav, demanding immediate action to ease congestion. He also urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to deploy additional police personnel to regulate traffic on the affected stretches.
Venugopal accused the NHAI of gross negligence in maintaining service roads, failing to implement traffic management and compromising safety at construction sites. “The Public Accounts Committee’s interim report had also flagged these shortcomings. Yet no decisive action was taken,” he said.
NHAI officials, however, said diversions through parallel routes can significantly ease congestion.
“We have already issued directions for diverting vehicles to parallel roads. However, heavy vehicles and other four-wheelers that depend on the NH are causing hardships to both construction and traffic. Roads such as Cherthala-Arookutty-Aroor, the coastal road from Alappuzha to Ernakulam, and Alappuzha-Vaikom- Ernakulam, are all tarred with BMBC and have very few potholes. These routes are more comfortable than the NH itself. But people continue to rely on the highway, which only worsens congestion and hampers construction,” said an official.
Parallel roads & distance
Alappuzha to Ernakulam
via NH 66: 57km
Alappuzha-Cherthala-
Arookutty-Aroor: 69km
Alappuzha to Ernakulam
via the coastal road: 60km
Alappuzha-Vaikom-Thripunithura-Ernakulam: 68km