The reconstruction of the Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) road is inching closer to completion. According to officials, about 85% of the project has been completed.
As per the original plan, the project, which is aimed at preventing flooding of the road during the monsoon season, should have been completed by now. As the work is still not over, the government extended the deadline to March 2024. The project got delayed after the government took time to approve the revised estimate for the construction of the Pallathuruthy bridge and slow progress in the construction of the Muttar bridge. The Pandarakalam flyover, though completed, has not yet been opened to traffic due to a delay in increasing the height of the Kerala State Electricity Board’s transmission tower in the area.
“Except for the Pallathuruthy bridge, all the other works related to the AC road reconstruction will be completed before the March deadline. The construction of the Muttar bridge has almost been completed. Asphalting of an eight-kilometre stretch of the road is pending, which will be carried out in the coming weeks if weather permits. Piling work in water for the construction of the Pallathuruthy bridge has also been started,” said an official.
Earlier, the Inland Waterways Authority of India stopped the Pallathuruthy bridgework citing a violation of criteria regarding its height and width. The construction firm submitted a revised plan and IWAI approved it last year. Though the firm subsequently submitted the revised estimate, the State Finance department only approved it recently.
The 24.14-km AC road, under the Kerala State Transport Project, is being reconstructed as a semi-elevated highway at a cost of around Rs. 700 crore, including the revised estimate of the bridge. The project includes the construction of five flyovers, three major bridges, 14 small bridges, three causeways, and culverts among other works.
Apart from Pandarakalam, the other flyovers were constructed at Nazareth Junction, Jyothi Junction, Mankombu and Onnamkara. Of the major bridges, Kidangara and Nedumudi have been completed. Likewise, construction of minor bridges, causeways and culverts have also been completed. Works related to drainages, ducts and pavements with a width of 1.5 metres on both sides of the road have also been finished. The two-lane road and flyovers with footpaths have a width between 13 and 14 meters.
The AC road work is being carried out by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS).
