NHAI Blacklists Contractor Over Highway Cracks in Kerala, Seeks More Time for Report
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has presented its stance on the structural failures observed on the National Highway (NH-66) in the state. The authority informed the court that the contractor company responsible has been blacklisted and requested more time to submit a detailed report.
The court had demanded an interim report by Thursday and critically commented on the NHAI regarding the highway’s failure, stating that Kerala was “not happy” with the situation.
The NHAI assured the court that structural changes would be made to the damaged sections of the national highway. Acknowledging that “wrong things happened,” the authority requested additional time to provide a comprehensive response.
The recent incidents include cracks on the Thiruvangoor overpass and above the Ambalappady-Cherukulam underpass in Kozhikode. While the crack at Thiruvangoor was recently patched, new fissures have reappeared in the 400-meter section, affecting even the protective walls. Water seepage from the road surface into the underpass is also a concern at Ambalappady-Cherukulam.
Earlier, samples were collected today from a cracked section of the national highway in Chavakkad, Thrissur, to investigate whether the soil filling was correctly executed. Work on that particular section has been temporarily halted pending the final report from an expert committee.