Cracks in more places on National Highway 66 in Kerala; Expert committee to investigate; NHAI says there is no unscientific construction

Kerala - Kozhikode: Following the collapse of the Kuriat National Highway 66 in Malappuram district, cracks have formed in more places. The road has cracked in Thalappara near Kuriat and in Kanhangad in Kasaragod district. There has also been a crack in the national highway in Chemmattam Vala in Kasaragod.
The crack formed in the raised part of the national highway in Thalappara. Although a small crack was seen, vehicles were allowed to pass through. However, as the crack increased, vehicular traffic has been completely banned. Vehicles are now being passed through the nearby service road. There is also a crack in the protective wall of the service road.
The service road, which was completed on the Kalyan Road section near Mavungal in Kanhangad in Kasaragod, collapsed. A large pit has formed, several meters deep. There has been heavy rain in the area since last night. Locals say that the road collapsed due to this. Traffic on the service road has been disrupted.
However, the NHAI Project Director said that there was no unscientific approach in the construction of the national highway. The reason is the pressure on the foundation due to the rain water. Due to the pressure, the field expanded and a crack appeared, causing the soil to slide. NHAI Project Director Anshul Sharma said that he was not aware of the complaints of the locals. An expert committee has been formed to investigate the collapse of the national highway.
Malappuram District Collector V R Vinod said that the National Highways Authority has appointed a three-member expert team to investigate the road collapse incident, and they are expected to visit the site of the incident tomorrow and submit a report. The traffic disruption due to the road collapse is causing great inconvenience to long-distance Travelers. Therefore, efforts will be made to avoid parking on the diverted routes and make the journey smooth, the District Collector said.