The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will construct a viaduct or bridge to replace the collapsed stretch of National Highway-66 at Kooriyad near Tirurangadi in Malappuram.
NHAI regional officer Babu Lal Meena said the bridge appeared the only remedial measure to address the failure of the 276-metre stretch of the elevated highway at Kooriyad.
He added that a 400-metre-long bridge would be constructed connecting the underpass at Kooriyad with the one in the middle of the paddy field. “It will be an integrated structure,” he said.
Mr. Meena said KNRCL, the contractor, had agreed to complete the work within four months. “It is raining heavily now. Everything has to be done very carefully,” he said.
An independent technical expert committee had examined the collapse of the stretch on May 21, two days after the incident, and submitted a report to the NHAI. The report said that the collapse was a result of the failure of the soil in weight bearing.
Agreeing that there were some lapses, Mr. Meena said water seeping into the unfinished portion of the embankment exerted too much pressure on the soil, forcing it to give way. The soil quality was not assessed carefully, admitted an NHAI official requesting anonymity.
The viaduct, according to experts, will be four times costlier than the embankment. They said embankments were widely used across Malappuram district to save cost.
Published – May 28, 2025 11:32 pm IST
