KOCHI: The new bridge built parallel to the existing Kumbalam-Aroor Bridge across the Vembanad Lake on the NH 47 was opened to the public on Tuesday. The bridge, which is the second longest in the state with a length of nearly one km, was built with the help of advanced technology and has been completed within a record time of 15 months. Compared to the existing bridge, the railing of the new one is stronger and the special concrete used gives the railing the power to resist pressure even if huge vehicles crash against it, the authorities of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said. The construction of the bridge was completed a month earlier, but it took almost one month for the completion of the painting work and the removal of construction waste from the site. As the new bridge has been opened, the existing bridge will be closed for maintenance work from next week. The authorities said the official inauguration of the bridge will be organised at the time of the opening of Vyttila-Aroor four-lane stretch. The widening of the Aroor-Vyttila Bypass and the construction of an under-pass near the Kundannoor Bridge and the work on the service roads are also in progress. The four-lane road is being constructed on the 10-km stretch between Aroor and Vyttila. The work of the six-km stretch between Edappally and Vyttila has already been completed.
The Aroor-Vyttila stretch has a total of five
bridges. Apart from the Kumbalam-Aroor Bridge, small bridges were constructed at Thykkoodam, Kundannoor, Nettoor and Kumbalam. There will also be a total of four underpasses in the stretch. The construction of underpasses at Thykkoodam, Nettoor and Kumbalam has already been completed while the construction of the Kundannoor underpass is in progress. The NHAI hopes that the fully widened four-lane stretch will be opened to the public by October 2010.
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