Thiruvananthapuram: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated a comprehensive review of the safety of earthen embankment stretches along national highway 66 following the collapse of the elevated highway section at Mylakkad in Kottiyam, said N K Premachandran, MP, on Monday.The move follows Union minister of state for road transport and highways Ajay Tamta’s assurance in Lok Sabha in response to Premachandran’s demand that earthen elevated stretches on NH 66 be replaced with pillar-supported viaducts to ensure long-term structural stability and public safety.As part of the exercise, NHAI engaged eight geotechnical agencies to conduct detailed investigations into soil conditions and terrain characteristics at Mylakkad and other locations where elevated highway stretches have been constructed using earthen embankments. The studies are being supervised by experts from Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), including a professor and an associate professor from IIT-Delhi and head of civil engineering department at IIT-Palakkad.According to Premachandran, the expert committee has submitted recommendations for both strengthening existing embankments and replacing vulnerable sections with pillar-supported structures. The panel proposed the construction of a 120-m viaduct at Mylakkad, a 440-m viaduct at Kadavoor and pillar-supported stretches measuring 80m each on either side of Mevaram, taking the total length there to 160m.The committee also recommended extending the elevated approach roads on both sides of Neendakara bridge, including extending the Neendakara-side viaduct up to a small underpass used by vehicles. Similar proposals have been made for Chavara bridge and the underpass near KMML.Premachandran said the recommendations are under NHAI’s final consideration. Quoting a written reply from Tamta, Premachandran said Union govt has assured that stringent measures would be adopted in NH 66 construction works to ensure quality standards and public safety.
