NHAI will rework the NH-66 stretch at Cheruvathur

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to replace the 330-metre high embankment section of the NH-66 widening project at Cheruvathur with an elevated viaduct after geotechnical investigations found the soil unsuitable to support the original design. The redesign is for the section between Maicha Bridge and Kariyamkode Bridge in the third section of the project.

According to sources, about 330 meters of the proposed embankment will be replaced by a pillared elevated structure. The completed section, which has already been commissioned, will be dismantled and rebuilt according to the revised project.

The section lies in a low-lying swampy area prone to monsoon flooding.

It is bordered by canals, a river and a lake, parts of which were reclaimed during the construction of the highway.

NHAI has directed the contractor, Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), to revise the design and reconstruct the section. The existing vehicular underpass (VUP) on Padanna Road near Cheruvathur will also be extended by about 100 meters — about 50 meters on either side — effectively converting it into an elevated flyover-like structure.

According to a senior MEIL official, the rework was prompted not by floods or recent complaints but by a detailed geotechnical survey conducted by a high-level committee set up after soil problems were identified at Kooriyad in Malappuram.

Similar investigations were subsequently conducted at several locations along the NH-66 corridor.

The official said on condition of anonymity that new drawings and revised cost estimates are being prepared and that the additional cost of the project will be determined only after the revised design is approved.

Reconstruction of the stretch could take up to another year after the proposal is approved, the official said.

The stretch from Kariyamkode Bridge to Old Cheruvathur is considered to be one of the most challenging stretches of the NH-66 project due to its difficult terrain.

The corridor also includes the Veeramala Hill, where the stabilization work against landslides is nearing completion.

NHAI is planning similar design modifications at other locations as well.

Near the Perumba River at Payyannur, the bypass will be extended by about 100 meters beyond both banks of the river.

Published – 20 Jul 2026 23:29 IST