Large crater appears on under-construction NH-66 in Alappuzha; repair bid faces protests

Cherthala: A large sinkhole has appeared on an under-construction stretch of National Highway 66 in Kerala's Alappuzha district, raising concerns over the safety of the newly built infrastructure.

The road caved in on a flyover near the underpass at 11th Mile in Cherthala, where construction is said to be nearing completion. The incident came to light at around 5.30 pm on Tuesday after local residents noticed the collapse on the busy highway.

The crater is estimated to be around 12 feet deep. Residents immediately placed warning signs at the site, preventing vehicles from entering the affected area and averting a potential accident.

Authorities attempt temporary repairs

Officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and representatives of the contractor reached the site after being alerted. They attempted to fill the sinkhole with concrete using an excavator.

However, local residents objected to the move, alleging that simply filling the crater without identifying the underlying cause could pose a serious safety risk. They argued that the area should undergo a detailed technical inspection before any repair work is carried out.

Residents expressed concern that a superficial repair could result in a larger collapse in the future, increasing the risk of vehicles falling into the affected section.

Preliminary assessments suggested that recent heavy rainfall may have washed away the soil beneath the road surface, leading to the collapse. The sinkhole reportedly formed shortly after a superfast bus and a car had passed over the flyover, which has been in use for the past few days.

Motorists and autorickshaw drivers in the area alerted the authorities as soon as the road subsidence was noticed.

NHAI officials and representatives of the construction company inspected the site. Officials said the area would remain under close monitoring until necessary repair work is completed.

Political leaders seek investigation

The authorities' attempt to cover the sinkhole on Tuesday night also drew protests from local residents, who insisted that the District Collector should visit the site before any repair work proceeds.

Congress MP K C Venugopal has written to the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India, seeking an investigation into the incident. He called for a probe into possible lapses in the construction work.

Meanwhile, CPM Alappuzha district secretary R Nasser urged the authorities to inspect other stretches of NH-66 to determine whether similar failures could occur elsewhere.

He alleged that the incident reflected shortcomings in the engineering process and said the explanation that the soil had been washed away was not acceptable. According to him, decisions on construction materials and engineering specifications fall within the responsibility of the project's engineering team, and other sections of the highway should also be examined.