State Highway Authority of Kerala (SHAK) will be set up under the Public Works Department to meet new challenges of road infrastructure, adopt new technologies and develop 4,000 core climate resilient road network across the State.
Roads & Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK), Kerala State Construction Corporation (KSCC)and Road Infrastructure Company Kerala (RICK), now functioning under PWD, will be merged to set up SHAK.
Being modelled on the lines of the authorities functioning in Jharkhand and other States for the development of the State Highways, the ground work for the formation of the SHAK has commenced. Advisory firm Deloitte has already submitted the concept note for the formation of SHAK.
“The process is part of the restructuring of the PWD to face new challenges and to adopt new technologies. Since the winding up of the RBDCK, KSCC and RICK is involved, a legislation will be needed,” official sources told The Hindu .
The new entity will mostly be headed by a chairman and project director and the key stake-holder departments of Transport, Kerala Police, Public Works, Forest, Tourism will be roped in for synergy and effective implementation.
Deputation
SHAK will have the best brains from the PWD and 30 to 50 best engineers from various wings of the PWD will be handpicked and posted on deputation, sources said.
A professional road consultant from within the country will be engaged by SHAK for a three-year term for advising on the quality measures to be adopted depending on the terrain and methodology to be among other things.
Apart from developing the roads into world class, the SHAK will have powers to raise funds, borrow funds and float bonds and manage the core road network.
The 4,000 km of corridors spread over the 14 districts will be identified based on passenger car unit (pcu) movement, connectivity to economic centres, hospitals, educational institutions, and maximum number of public and commercial vehicles.
Design
As part of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative, the government has already decided to adopt climate resilient design for the roads and drainages.
Embankments, slope and soil stabilisation measures, retaining walls, and steps to avoid water retention will be the key features of these newly-developed roads.
