NHAI nod to alter road construction
The changes will be implemented at Pallipuram near Technocity and Mamom bridge near Attingal, where the highway passes through low-lying paddy fields.
Pune-based RKC Infrastructure Ltd, the contractor for Kazhakkoottam-Kadampattukonam stretch, submitted a proposal to NHAI recommending a shift from the originally planned elevated embankment construction to a surface-level road.
The contractor cited both environmental sensitivity and structural safety for the modification.
"Instead of constructing retaining walls, the road will now be built at surface level to minimise soil pressure and improve long-term stability in the marshy terrain," said a source familiar with the project. However, despite intermittent rains, the construction was nearly 50% completed and is expected to be completed in May 2026.
"The ambitious project includes construction of Attingal bypass, which is in full swing.
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The work gained momentum last month. Except for new proposals at Mamom and Pallipuram, the works are going on at a fast pace. The work at Kazhakkoottam and Kallambalam side are going on simultaneously and also at Attingal bypass. Though there is shortage of soil and red earth, we are setting up a new unit soon to ensure that the materials are easily available and to avoid dependency on quarry units in Tamil Nadu.
Approval for the new unit has been accorded.
Currently, we procure materials and aggregates from a unit at Vellalloor," an RKC Infrastructure official told TOI.
Construction work on this critical corridor has been ongoing since May 2025. In total, 13.8km of service road is being developed alongside the main highway, of which nearly 9km has been surfaced. RKC officials have assured that the remaining 4.8 km of tarring will be completed soon.
Originally scheduled for completion in Jan 2025, the deadline extended to Oct 2025 and the contractor recently requested a further extension to March 2026, a request deemed unacceptable by both NHAI and state govt.
Once fully completed, the 29-km upgraded NH-66 corridor will include four flyovers, 36 culverts, six minor bridges, three vehicle overpasses, five vehicle underpasses, six light-vehicle underpasses, four small-vehicle underpasses, three cattle underpasses, a parallel service road, 20 bus bays and a pedestrian overbridge across the 11.15-km Attingal bypass.
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