6 days ago
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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has acceptable December arsenic the revised deadline for completing the six-laning works connected the 24-km-long Edappally-Moothakunnam agelong of NH 66, 1 of the busiest and astir densely populated corridors connected the highway.
Around 75% of the enactment connected the agelong has been completed. The road is being upgraded to alteration conveyance speeds of 80 kmph to 100 kmph, NHAI sources said.
“The road is being widened to 45 metres, including work roads, drains and allied infrastructure. Service roads volition person a width of 7 metres wherever onshore is available, to alteration two-way question of vehicles. Soil investigating was carried retired successful May arsenic portion of the plan process for the retaining walls on the corridor,” the sources said.
Bridges
While the recently constructed parallel span astatine Varapuzha was opened to postulation earlier this year, different span nether operation astatine Moothakunnam is acceptable to beryllium opened. The attack roads to the existing bridges on the 22-km agelong are presently being widened to guarantee smoother postulation flow. Once the works are completed, the caller bridges volition person 3 lanes, portion the existing bridges volition proceed to relation with 2 lanes, the sources added.
Demand for Underpasses
Meanwhile, NGOs, residents’ associations and people’s representatives person renewed their request for further underpasses on the agelong to alteration vehicles and pedestrians to transverse the road safely.
“The NHAI indispensable conception an capable fig of underpasses arsenic promised, since the Edappally-Moothakunnam agelong passes done densely populated areas with acquisition institutions and places of worship. For instance, determination is nary underpass on the 2.5-km agelong betwixt Kunnumpuram Junction and the junction wherever NH 66 intersects the Container Road,” said Hashim Chendampilly, president of the NH Samyukta Samara Samithi.
He said it was precocious clip the NHAI began enactment connected the projected underpass for airy vehicles astatine Thykavu Junction, which it had promised during a stakeholders’ meeting. The junction is located astir astatine the centre of the 2.5-km stretch. Underpasses are besides needed astatine Koonammavu and Pattanam, helium added.
Mr. Chendampilly said that NGOs and different groups raising the contented would not let the remaining works to proceed unless the underpasses were constructed. He besides demanded capable drainage facilities on the road to forestall waterlogging.
Meanwhile, the NHAI has expressed willingness to supply funds to section bodies to instrumentality measures to forestall waterlogging on the Edappally-Kodungalloor agelong of NH 66. The determination is expected to alteration the creaseless drainage of h2o from work roads to adjacent waterbodies, sources said.
