The elevated highway at Kazhakootam will not be opening to traffic November 15 as decided earlier. According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), some final touches, including the lane marking and re-tarring of the road under the flyover and service roads, are pending.

The officials now say that the 2.72km-long flyover, the longest four-lane elevated highway, could be opened by the end of this month. “All the major works have been completed. But the lane marking and re-tarring of the road under the flyover are pending. Moreover, we need an official communication from the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways. The recent downpour also impacted the construction. We hope to open the highway by the end of this month,” said NHAI project director P Pradeep.

The work on the approach road has been completed, and lane marking is in progress.The 22m-wide elevated highway has 61 pillars and 420 girders, and the painting of the pillars and walls has been completed. The NHAI has given concurrence to Technopark to proceed with the proposal of beautifying the median under the flyover which is expected to begin after the elevated highway is opened to the public.

Meanwhile, the tender proceedings for the proposed three underpasses which are part of the elevated highway are under way, and the construction is expected to start within three months. Three low-vehicle underpasses (LVUD) are scheduled to come up at Attinkuzhy, Technopark Phase III, and Mukkolakkal to ensure a risk-free crossing of the freeway.

The state government has to foot the expenses for the highway. The elevated highway is being built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana Scheme. The elevated highway from Technopark Phase III to the CSI Mission Hospital at Kazhakootam towards Kollam was scheduled to open on November 1. It was postponed as there was some delay in the work on the approach road on the northern side of the highway at Kazhakootam due to the unavailability of soil. Mukkola-Karode NH likely to be commissioned in January 2023.