NHAI to build viaduct after Kooriyad highway collapse

Malappuram: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced remedial measures following the collapse of a section of the under-construction national highway in Kooriyad. NHAI Regional Officer Babu Lal Meena stated that the only viable solution is to build a viaduct or a bridge in place of the failed structure, The Hindu reported.

This would require the complete demolition of the existing road, which was constructed by filling in a paddy field, a method now deemed flawed. The collapse has been confirmed over a 276-metre stretch of the highway. “An elevated highway will be constructed at Kooriyad, along with a 400-metre-long bridge connecting the Kooriyad underpass to another underpass across the paddy field,” said Meena. He added that this would be an integrated structure.

The construction firm KNRCL has reportedly assured authorities that the new structure can be completed within four months. However, the work will be carried out cautiously due to the ongoing monsoon, which poses additional risks.

Following the initial collapse, an independent expert committee submitted a report to the NHAI highlighting deficiencies in the original construction. The regional officer acknowledged that errors were made, particularly in assessing the soil structure of the site.

Local residents, protest committees, and elected representatives had earlier raised concerns about the approach taken to build the six-lane road. They argued that raising the road by dumping soil into the water-logged paddy field, especially without any proper geotechnical or scientific studies, was a serious oversight.

It was this method of embankment over unstable, saturated land that ultimately led to the road sinking and collapsing. Alarmingly, another collapse was reported just a few meters away from the original site. The side wall of the main highway had caved in, raising further concerns about the integrity of the remaining structure.