The Thalassery-Valavupara road upgradation work under the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) Phase-2 is in limbo as the contract awarded to a major construction company has been terminated because of delay in attaining the targets set for completion of various works.
The KSTP is taking steps for re-tendering the works for upgrading the 53.12 km Thalassery-Valavupara stretch of the Thalassery-Kodagu road under the package – III of the World Bank-aided KSTP Phase -2 project as the contract awarded to SACYR-Essar JV has been terminated.
The upgradation work which started in November should have been completed by December 2014. Though the completion date was extended to April 23, 2015, the KSTP officials say that only nine per cent of the project work had been completed as against the targeted achievement of 68 per cent.
“The contractor failed to achieve all the milestones planned under the contract, though 20 months have lapsed,” a senior KSTP official in Thiruvananthapuram told The Hindu over the phone. The company also failed to keep all the target dates for completion of bridges along the stretch, he added.
The Rs. 230-crore project includes improvement of gradient, and widening and strengthening of the road, including reconstruction of seven bridges. The road passes through Koothuparamba, Mattannur and Iritty. The works for five bridges have begun by the contractor as also road works near the Thalasssery town. KSTP officials here say that the works that have been completed by the company are now being measured for preparing a fresh estimate for re-tendering the project.
The project envisaged upgradation of the road into a two-lane highway as per international standards and straightening of the road curves at Punnad, Keezhur and Iritty. Though 162 culverts have to be reconstructed/extended under the project, only 14 culverts were completed out of 40 culverts to be finished, they said.
Company officials were not immediately available for comment. At a meeting to review the tardy progress of the work in February 4, the representatives of the company informed the KSTP officials that the company faced issues such as leakage/breakage of waterpipes and shifting of underground telephone cable. The KSTP officials said that the major cause of the delay in achieving the milestones was shortage of machinery and work force. The officials also said that some portions identified for acquisition remain to be acquired.
Rs. 230-cr. project includes rebuilding of seven bridges
Company says work delayed by phone cables, waterpipes
