KOCHI: The renovation activities on the concrete bridge at Muvattupuzha which was brought to a halt owing to the delay in shifting the two pipes belonging to the Kerala Water Authority will resume soon. The work has received a boost with the state government sanctioning a sum of Rs 33 lakhs for shifting the pipes at the country’s first concrete bridge.
The two pipes pass through both sides of the bridge. Though the estimate for shifting the pipes was submitted on time by the department concerned, the work could not be carried out per schedule for lack of adequate funding.
With the state government sanctioning the amount, the shifting of the pipes can be carried out without much delay. The work will be in full swing in a couple of months, according to the office of the Joseph Vazhakkan MLA.
The PWD department, responsible for the bridge constructed under the supervision of British engineer,V H Emarald, during the regime of Maharaja Sreemoolam Thirunal in 1914, has carried out a good portion of the reinforcement work of the heritage structure before the monsoon showers.
According to assistant engineer, Roads and Bridges Division PWD, in charge of the project, they have applied grout, mixture of cement and sand and water, on the exposed surface of the bridge slabs under pneumatic pressure before the monsoon. However, the work was brought to a halt when the monsoon showers played spoilsport with the work.
Though the concrete of the slabs under the bridge had given way recently, exposing rusting steel rods, the bridge which recently completed a centenary, still stands strong. Following this, the state government had given sanction to renovate the bridge at a cost of Rs 1.16 crore, said officials.
As part of the renovation project, the PWD will also undertake beautification works without changing any of its archaeological features. A lighting system will also be set up as part of the beautification work. According to locals,the bridge which stood the test of time was inaugurated by the then British engineer and his wife. And as part of testing the stability of the bridge during the time of inauguration, as many as 15 elephants were made to walk over the bridge while the British couple stood beneath the bridge in a country boat.
The PWD officials also said the pillars of the bridge were made of big pieces of granite boulders. It is also believed that the steel and cement used for the construction of the bridge were imported from England.