The district administration is likely to give green signal to the pending road works despite a major landslip inflicting heavy damage on the Gap Road stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi national highway on Wednesday night.

After the road-widening works were launched in 2019, over 15 major landslips were reported on the Gap Road stretch and it was alleged that the unscientific works had caused them.

Retaining wall

The works were indefinitely suspended in July last year after a major landslip claimed the lives of two workers. An expert team from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut ((NIT-C) inspected the area and gave permission for the works to continue after ensuring safety measures such as construction of a retaining wall there.

Rex Felix, Assistant Executive Engineer, NHAI (National Highway Authority of India), told The Hindu on Friday that by the roadside there was a massive formation of rocks on different plates, with layers of sand in between, which could fall at any time. As part of road-widening, plates were being removed with low intensity blasting. The soil sensitivity and the unstable formation of the rock had posed a threat. “Now that the entire rock formation has tumbled down, the threat has eased,” he said, adding that nearly 200 metres of the road had been destroyed in the landslip. It would be strengthened by constructing a retaining wall, he added. The Gap Road stretch was closed recently when a rumble was heard from the layers of the plates, he added.

In four months

He said that over 75% of the works on the 42-km NH stretch from Bodimettu to Devikulam had been completed. The authorities planned to complete the works in four months.

District Collector H. Dinesan will convene a meeting of people’s representatives and NHAI officials on Saturday to discuss the issue. Mr. Dinesan said the roadworks needed to be completed soon, ensuring safety aspects. The meeting would take a final decision, he added.