National Highway 544: Underpass to be constructed at Vanoor in Palakkad

Alathur: Alathur MP K Radhakrishnan has instructed the officials of the National Highways Authority of India to draft a plan for constructing an underpass at Vanoor near Swathi Junction on National Highway 544 in Palakkad. The MP stated at a meeting held at the collectorate Saturday that he would urge Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to approve the plan.

Besides, the MP also demanded that all the construction works on the highway including the underpass at Vanoor be completed before the last week of April next year, before the monsoon season begins.

Meanwhile, KD Prasenan MLA representing Alathur urged the officials to examine whether the underpass could be built at the highest spot below the bridge without changing the DPR. A team of officials of the National Highways Authority of India as well as the MP and the MLA will inspect the spot again.

District collector MS Madhavikutty, Alathur block panchayat president Rajani Babu, panchayat president A Shiny, tehsildar A Saravanan, National Highways Authority of India project director Ansil Hassan, Janakeeya Samiti chairman C Unnikrishnan and convenor N Gireesh attended the meeting.

Vanoor became isolated after the National Highway was demolished at Swathi Junction for building culverts. The traffic blockade wouldn’t have worsened if the NH was demolished after constructing the service roads. The elected representatives had brought this matter to the notice of the NHAI officials.

People of Vanoor now have to travel a few extra kilometres to reach Alathur. Meanwhile, the local residents had held protest marches by blocking roads against the severe traffic blockades in the area.