There seems to be no end in sight to the woes of commuters and pedestrians in the city, as numerous arterial roads are in a dilapidated state, despite a lull in rain and a steep fall in the number of vehicles owing to COVID-19 curbs.
The worst such stretch is the Maradu-Kundannoor NH corridor which is maintained by the PWD (NH Wing). The agency has done little despite people risking their life by commuting through the narrow but busy stretch. Allegation is now rife that the PWD had not taken proactive measures to restore the road into safe and motorable condition, after the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) dug it up for pipeline work early this year.
“The horrible condition of the NH corridor has resulted in motorists shunning the stretch and instead opting to travel many kilometres extra, through Pettah and Vyttila to reach their destinations,” said Boby Gomas, a resident of Maradu. “It turns extremely unsafe at night since heavy vehicles, including container and tanker lorries, frequent the narrow two-lane corridor. which is relied on by thousands of commuters, including those going to the airport, to avoid congestion at Vyttila and Palarivattom,” he added.
A senior PWD official said the restoration work done by the KWA after filling trenches on the NH stretch too was damaged. “Rectification work is being done using wet-mix macadam as part of a ₹17.73-crore road-strengthening work. Resurfacing can be done only the after rains,” he added.
The PWD (Roads Wing) is under fire for the formation of potholes at several places on Banerjee Road and at High Court Junction, especially at places where tarred roads take off from the carriageway that has been covered using concrete paver blocks.
A high-ranking official of the department said funds had been allotted in June for emergency repair of potholed corridors, taking note of the fact that two engineers were suspended after a two-wheeler rider was killed in a pothole-related accident near Palarivattom, during the 2019 monsoon. “Adequate quantity of cold-mix bitumen too was made available to carry out patch work even in rainy weather,” he added.
Goshree bridges
Alarmed at accidents caused by potholes that have developed over the trio of Goshree Bridges, Johney Vypeen, social activist and an office-bearer of Fort Vypeen Janakeeya Kootayma warned that he would file a writ before the High Court if the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) failed to repair them. “The inordinate delay in repairing the bridges and their approach roads is unpardonable. This is causing accidents. A case filed by me regarding dysfunctional street lights over the bridges is pending before the court. On its part, the PWD has not repaired damaged portions of the Vypeen-Munambam Road,” Mr. Johney said.
Meanwhile, GIDA sources said the PWD had submitted a draft estimate of the repair work.
“A final estimate will be readied in a day or two. Most potholes have formed near expansion joints. The roads sinking at the entry and exit of bridges due to settlement of huge layer of mud beneath, is another issue,” they said.