Clearing the deck for the construction of rail overbridges, part of the Alappuzha bypass project, the Commissioner of Railway Safety has given its final approval.
K.C. Venugopal, MP, said on Friday that the bypass would be opened at the earliest after completing the construction of two overbridges.
“The safety plan for the construction of two overbridges was submitted a month ago for approval. But the process got delayed. I have taken up the matter with the Southern Railway General Manager and Additional General Manager. By receiving the final safety approval, the project has cleared a major hurdle,” Mr. Venugopal said.
Mr. Venugopal said the company entrusted with the construction had brought steel girders and other materials needed for the construction of the overbridges to Alappuzha and the work would begin soon.
Although 96% of the bypass project has been completed, construction of the rail overbridges at Malikamukku and Kuthirapanthy is still pending.
The bypass work, which got under way on April 10, 2015, was originally set to be completed in September 2017. However, the project got delayed on account of various reasons and the deadline was initially extended to May 28, 2018 and further to August 31.
No extension
Recently, Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran said the deadline for the completion of the project had ended on August 31 and government would not extend it any further. He added that the government would not announce a new date for the completion of the project.
Once completed, the bypass is expected to bring relief to Alappuzha town, which has been witnessing traffic snarls on its arterial roads for several years now. With the new bypass, the town would be able to breath a little easier.