Renovation of Muttathara-Valiyathura-Shanghumugham Road commences after long delay

Thiruvananthapuram: The renovation of Muttathara-Valiyathura-Shanghumugham Road, which was in a dilapidated state for the past one year, has finally commenced.

PWD chief engineer (roads) Ajith Ramachandran said that the work has begun and more workforce will be deployed in the coming days for speedy completion. "We will ensure that the complete road refurbishment work is completed before May 31, before the onset of southwest monsoon. The levelling of the road has begun, so it will be a matter of time and top-notch equipment and machinery will also be brought in," he said.

The state govt had approved the tender for the road project in Dec 2024. This road, which is a main route used by passengers from Tamil Nadu to reach the airport, has been in a pathetic condition for more than a year. The route has been riddled with potholes, turning the commute into a challenging ordeal.

The project faced delays as the finance department did not make a decision on the bid quoted at 17% above the project's initial estimate.

Under standard tender protocols, bids exceeding 10% of the estimated project cost are usually turned down. However, given the urgency of repairs, the PWD recommended approval of Sree Dhanya Constructions' bid despite its 17% overage.

The project, budgeted at Rs 7.5 crore with funding from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), repeatedly faced setbacks due to budgetary constraints. The PWD previously floated tenders four times to reconstruct the pothole-filled road.