Kollam: A section of the National Highway under construction near Kottiyam in Kollam district suffered a sudden and alarming collapse on Wednesday, disrupting vehicular movement and raising serious questions about the quality of ongoing highway development in Kerala.
The incident occurred at Mylakkad, near Chathannoor, where the service road adjacent to the NH-66 expansion zone abruptly caved in, forming a deep crater. Several vehicles, including a school bus, were trapped on the failing road moments before it fully gave way.
Thanks to the quick action of bystanders and local residents, all schoolchildren and passengers were safely escorted out. No injuries have been reported, but the situation sparked panic among commuters who witnessed the sudden sinking of the road.
Following the collapse, police and highway authorities immediately imposed traffic restrictions in the region. Vehicles heading towards Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam have been redirected through the coastal highway, significantly increasing travel time for commuters.
Officials have warned that traffic diversions may remain in force for several days until the site is secured and a temporary passage is created.
Kerala Public Works Minister PA Muhammad Riyas has ordered an urgent investigation into the incident, demanding accountability from the contracting agency responsible for the project. He instructed officials to submit a detailed report on the cause of the collapse and the condition of nearby construction stretches.
The Minister’s intervention follows growing criticism from residents who have repeatedly flagged concerns about the construction methods used along the Kottiyam–Chathannoor stretch.
A team of officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), including the Project Director and supervisory engineers, visited the collapse site to assess the severity of the damage. Initial reports suggest that the road may have collapsed due to unstable soil layers combined with unscientific excavation practices.
However, the exact cause will be formally established only after a technical evaluation.
Residents claim that the collapse was “an accident waiting to happen.” Many have accused the contractor identified locally as Shivalaya Constructions of using poor-quality materials and disregarding basic safety norms.
Villagers allege they had lodged multiple complaints with authorities, warning that the soil was being removed excessively without adequate reinforcement.
This incident has reignited concerns over highway safety across the state. Earlier this year, a similar collapse of NH-66 at Kooriyad in Malappuram had exposed serious construction lapses and triggered debate over the monitoring systems adopted by NHAI and its contractors.
The Kollam collapse, occurring amid major widening works on NH-66, has amplified public fears and renewed calls for strict scrutiny of national-scale infrastructure projects.
With the road completely unusable and the traffic diversion routes already congested, residents of Kollam and daily commuters between Thiruvananthapuram and northern Kerala are likely to face significant delays.
Authorities are working to stabilize the collapsed portion, but engineers estimate that restoring even a temporary traffic corridor may take several days.