Land acquisition for road widening works to begin soon

Attingal: The NH wing of the public works department (PWD) will soon initiate steps for widening the Poovampara-Moonnumukku stretch in Attingal into a four-lane road at an estimated cost of Rs 24 crore. The stretch will be widened to 16 metres. Median and other road safety measures will also be ensured.
At a high-level meeting held here on Tuesday, minister for public works G Sudhakaran issued directives to expedite land acquisition and other procedures in this regard. The meeting was attended by Attingal MLA B Sathyan, officials of PWD’s NH wing and the officials of revenue department.

B Sathyan said that the 3km stretch witnesses heavy traffic throughout the day and that is why it has been decided to convert it into a four-lane road.

“Earlier it was proposed to convert it into a 20-metre four-lane road. But, later the width was limited to 16 metres. Land will be acquired for the widening works. As of now we have evicted around 139 encroachers on the stretch. A government-approved agency will be entrusted with the job of fixing alignment, preparation of estimate and design of the road and based on this tenders for road works will be invited,” Sathyan said.

“The project is estimated to cost around Rs 24 crore. This stretch has several potholes due to which commuters face inconvenience, especially at night. Moreover as the road is not wide enough, there is increased risk of accidents. Once the highway is widened, commuting will be smoother,” said the MLA.