The State has made great strides in the public transport sector, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was virtually inaugurating the reconstruction work of the Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) road on Monday. “The State has witnessed big changes in the public transport system. The government has made 98% of roads in the State motorable. A total of 5,000 roads have been reconstructed under the Chief Minister's Local Road Rebuild Project. Besides, ₹14, 864 crore is being spent for the renovation of various roads in the State. The government has spent ₹1,883 crore for reconstructing roads damaged in flood in recent years. Roads being built utilising ₹950 crore from NABARD are in the final phase of construction,” Mr. Vijayan said.
The Chief Minister said that 189 roads constructed at a cost of ₹1,451 crore across the State would be opened to traffic in three months.
The 24.14-km AC road will be reconstructed as a semi-elevated highway at a cost of ₹671.66 crore. The project, which is expected to prevent flooding of the road during the monsoon season, will be completed in three years.
As part of the project, 2.9 km of the road will be refurbished using bituminous macadam bituminous concrete (BMBC) method. Using geotextiles, 8.27 km will be strengthened. Another 9 km of the road will be reconstructed with geogrid and geotextiles encased stone column.
Five flyovers will be constructed at places prone to severe flooding. The flyovers will come up between the Onnamkara bridge and Mankombu Junction, Mankombu Junction and Mankombu culvert, Jyothi Junction and Parasseril bridge, Ponga culvert and Pandarakulam, and near Mankombu Thekkekara.
Besides, three existing bridges at Kidangara, Nedumudi and Pallathuruthy will be widened. The Muttar bridge across the AC canal will be reconstructed. Apart from these, construction of nine causeways, 13 minor bridges, drains, ducts, retaining walls, culverts, bus shelters, and road safety features are also planned.
The two-lane road and flyovers with footpaths will have a width between 13 and 14 meters. The work will be carried out by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society.
Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran presided. Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, A.M. Ariff, MP, and others attended.