Delay in getting nod from Railways for the safety plan submitted for the construction of two rail overbridges (ROBs) has hampered the progress of the Alappuzha bypass project.
PWD officials said the safety plan was submitted to the Safety Commissioner of Railways for the construction of rail overbridges at Malikamukku and Kuthirapanthi.
“As the project is implemented under the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode, the contractor is responsible for obtaining the necessary nod from Railways.
The contractor has already submitted the safety plan for approval.
However, Railways have sought some clarifications. We hope it approves the plan without any further delay,” said, S. Sajeev, executive engineer, PWD (NH Division).
Project delayed
The Alappuzha bypass project is already running behind schedule by several months and Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran has set a deadline of August 2018 for the completion of the project.
“The commissioning of the bypass depends on the completion of two RoBs and as such it is imperative to get nod from Railways at the earliest,” pointed out an official.
The officials said that about 85% of the bypass project works had been completed so far.
Envisaged in the 1970s, the bypass remained a pipe dream owing to delay in land acquisition.
The project finally got under way on April 10, 2015, with a plan to complete it in September 2017.
Traffic snarls
Once completed, the bypass is expected to bring relief to Alappuzha town, which has been witnessing traffic snarls on its arterial roads for several years now. With the new bypass, the town would be able to breath a little easier. And that would also ensure smooth movement of traffic between the State capital and the State’s commercial hub and beyond.
