Uncertainty prevails over the four-laning of the 1.5-km Chakka-Eenchakkal corridor of the Kazhakuttam-Mukkola NH 66 Bypass, with the State, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Airports Authority of India failing to take a call on providing connectivity from the bypass to the international airport.
Despite the intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Gordian knot remains unsolved. Only eight months are left for expiry of the 24-month EPC contract for four-laning of the 26.7-km Kazhakuttam-Mukkola stretch.
The unidirectional flyover of 2 km on the airport approach road from Eenchakkal to Chakka has been proposed to provide hassle-free connectivity to the airport.
The flyover, to be located next to the service road and existing ramp, has been recommended by veteran transport planner N.S. Sreenivasan, who was consulted by the State government to solve the vexed issue of providing connectivity.
The NHAI has been asked to build the flyover on silts to ensure better environment and safe and efficient flow of traffic.
A five-member committee comprising NATPAC Director, officials of the NHAI and PWD (NH) and Airport Director, had approved the proposal and the report was submitted in September last.
The Chief Secretary had forwarded the report to the NHAI for the mandatory approval.
Even after seven months, the stake-holders have not been able to arrive at a decision on the airport connectivity.
The main issue to be sorted out is who will execute the work. Project officials say the permitted 20 per cent cost escalation of the ₹623.41 crore has been crossed.
As much as 55 per cent of the four-laning works on the remaining stretches of the Reach I of the bypass extending to Karode in neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been completed, a NHAI official told The Hindu .
Ninety per cent of the work on the new two-lane Akkulam bridge is over and work on the vehicular underpass and the approach road is nearing completion. The work on the rail overbridge at Chakka across the railway line is also on course.
With a decision on the connectivity not forthcoming, the NHAI official said they were not able to fix the alignment of the road and take up the work from Chakka Junction to Eenchakkal Junction.
The NHAI is also mulling skipping the four-laning works in the corridor to enable the Hyderabad-based KNR Constructions Ltd. (KNRCL), the EPC contractor, to stick to the November deadline. But, then the corridor and two busy junctions will continue to remain a bottleneck. Entering and leaving the airport will also turn a nightmare for the road users.
