T’puram: After months of delay, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to float a fresh tender for the proposed flyover at Kumarichantha on NH 66 corridor in the state capital, incorporating a revised design that addresses long-standing concerns raised by residents and traders.The decision to retender the project comes after NHAI scrapped its earlier plan and adopted a design that replaces retaining walls with pillars, alongside additional beautification components.“The new design is a result of detailed consultations with stakeholders and technical evaluations. We ensured that the concerns of local residents and traders are addressed while maintaining safety and efficiency standards,” said a senior NHAI official. “The tender process will begin shortly, and we expect better participation from contractors under the revised scope,” he added. Kumarichantha junction, located along NH 66, has been a major congestion point, particularly during peak hours, with heavy intercity and local traffic. The flyover is considered crucial to easing traffic bottlenecks and improving connectivity in the rapidly expanding urban corridor of Thiruvananthapuram.Initially, NHAI proposed a design featuring three pillars with a 20-m spacing, supported by extensive embankments and retaining walls. However, the plan triggered widespread protests from local residents and traders, who argued that the retaining wall structure would obstruct shop visibility, restrict access to commercial establishments and pose potential soil stability risks due to large-scale earth filling.NHAI has now redesigned the project to include seven spans supported by more pillars, ensuring minimal disruption to roadside businesses and has improved structural safety. The revised plan also includes aesthetic enhancements aimed at integrating the flyover with the urban landscape.Presently, piling work has been completed at the Kumarichantha site. Earlier, the contract for the flyover was awarded to Cherian Varkey Constructions Pvt Ltd. Enchakkal work to resume soonMeanwhile, in a related development, construction work on Enchakkal flyover, also along NH 66 stretch, is set to resume. The project was temporarily halted to revise its approach road design, particularly on the southern and northern sides.Additional pillars will now be incorporated into the Enchakkal project to strengthen the approach roads, replacing the earlier plan that relied on retaining walls, said an NHAI official. The change follows safety concerns arising from previous incidents at Kottiyam in Kollam and parts of Malappuram, where failure of retaining wall structures were reported. The contractor for Enchakkal project is Cherian Varkey Constructions and is being built at an estimated cost of around Rs 47 crore. Currently, the work of all five spans has been completed.
