Close to three months after the devastating deluge in the State, restoration work on the flood-hit Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) road began on Monday.
Officials of the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) said the maintenance work had begun at Pallathuruthy. “Severely dilapidated portions would be repaired on a priority basis. The contractor has been given three months to complete the entire work,” said a KSTP official.
The KSTP finalised a contract for carrying out the maintenance of the road and an agreement was signed with the contractor in September. The road will be restored at an estimated cost of ₹9.89 crore.
Height to be raised
As part of the work, the height of the road will be increased at a number of places and damaged portions will be repaired. The height of the road will be increased at Pandarakalam, Pallathuruthy, Ponga, Poopally Junction, Nedumudi Petrol pump, Nazarath junction, Mampuzhakari and Block junction.
A major portion of the 24-km road was damaged in the floods. The road was closed to traffic for more than three weeks following the initial flooding in July. It was submerged again for a second time in the middle of August. The road was opened to traffic on August 29 after the Irrigation Department drained out the floodwaters from several portions using a dredger and power pump sets.
After the floods, the KSTP had carried out emergency repair work at a cost of ₹35 lakh.
Reconstruction
With recurring flooding of the road, the State government, other than carrying out the maintenance of the road, is also planning to reconstruct the road after increasing its height.