T’puram: Even though the weather is favourable for highway construction with less rain this monsoon, the construction of the Kazhakkoottam-Kadampattukonam stretch of NH 66 has come to a standstill, with shortages of materials and skilled labour emerging as the immediate reasons behind the slowdown. This raises concern over further delays in one of the state’s most significant infrastructure projects.Sources said the supply of key construction materials from neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been severely affected in recent weeks, disrupting ongoing works at multiple locations. The situation has been compounded by a shortage of construction workers after nearly 800 labourers engaged in the project reportedly moved to another infrastructure project in Maharashtra.The prolonged slowdown has fuelled concerns that the Thiruvananthapuram stretches of the highway could miss the revised completion schedule. Several observers associated with the project have also alleged that delays in processing payments to contractors have affected construction activity, although there has been no official confirmation from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).According to an NHAI official, the immediate reason for the work stoppage is a dispute between the project’s main contractor, RDS Projects Ltd and its Pune-based subcontractor, RKC Infrastructure Ltd.“Representatives of both sides held discussions, and the matter has now been resolved. Construction activities are expected to resume soon,” the official said.The official expressed confidence that the contractor would remobilise manpower and machinery shortly to restart work on the stalled stretch.Even if work resumes immediately, project observers believe the delayed mobilisation of labour and materials will make it difficult to recover the lost time. They point out that several critical activities remain pending, including major structures, service roads and finishing works.Meanwhile, NHAI has also initiated changes to the engineering design of certain highway stretches following last year’s Kooriyad collapse in Malappuram. Several sections that were originally planned as earth-filled embankments will now be developed as elevated viaducts and bridges to improve long-term safety.The redesign has resulted in fresh tenders for additional structures within the Kazhakkoottam-Kadampattukonam reach. The bids for these packages are scheduled to be opened this month, after which the contracts will be awarded and construction taken up.Experts note that the redesign process took nearly a year to finalise. With fresh tendering now under way and ongoing works yet to regain momentum, they caution that completing the remaining highway works within the existing timeline will be a major challenge.The completion deadline for several NH 66 packages has already been extended till March 31. Unless construction regains pace soon, infrastructure observers believe the remaining stretches in Thiruvananthapuram could continue to face delays, with the overall completion of the corridor likely to extend well beyond the current target.
