Commuters navigating the treacherous, bumpy stretches of national highway 66 bypass at Kumbalam can finally look forward to a smoother ride. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to complete the long-overdue raising and tarring of bridge approach roads by next week, addressing a chronic structural hazard that has plagued the region for months.
Urgency After Accident
The urgency behind the repair works peaked recently following an accident in which a KSRTC passenger sustained head injuries after a speeding bus hit the sharply uneven section. The incident highlighted the dangerous condition of the road, prompting immediate action from authorities.
Root Cause: Soil Settlement
The root of the issue lies in the geography of Kochi's reclaimed land, which is highly prone to soil settlement. While the heavy Kumbalam bridge structure remains perfectly stable on its deep-seated piles, the adjacent approach roads gradually compress and sink over time. This differential settlement creates a dangerous vertical offset, effectively a hazardous "jump", where asphalt meets the concrete bridge structure.
Rectification Work
"To eliminate this vertical gap, rectification work involves scraping old asphalt and raising a 60-metre stretch of approach roads on both sides of the bridge," said an NHAI official. Work on the Kumbalam-Madavana side began two months ago and faced severe delays, progressing at a snail's pace after contractors abruptly suspended activities. However, officials confirm that road height has finally been raised, leaving just one final day of tarring to achieve completion.
On the opposite side (Madavana-Kumbalam), work was taken up on Thursday night, aiming for a quick three-to-four-day turnaround.
Traffic Disruptions
While the project promises long-term safety, its execution triggered massive gridlock. The contractor initiated daytime operations without prior intimation to traffic police, causing a serpentine vehicle queue extending over a kilometre to the Madavana signal during evening peak hours on Friday. Traffic police quickly intervened, ordering a temporary halt. Moving forward, the contractor has been directed to restrict heavy operations to non-rush hours to balance commuter safety with the need for a swift, next-week finish.
