KOCHI: Those travelling to Nedumbassery airport from Ernakulam and other southern districts will face a harrowing time from October 28 to November 6, when the National Highways Authority of India will block off the old Marthanda Varma Bridge on NH 544 in Aluva for maintenance. Repairs will also be carried out on the Desom Bridge, during which time it will be partially closed, Aluva MLA Anwar Sadath said, adding NHAI has deemed the work urgent.
Experts from IIT Madras inspected the two bridges and submitted a report recommending immediate repairs, he said. Traffic will be completely barred on the Marthanda Varma Bridge. “The report said the bridges face the risk of collapse and recommended expediting maintenance work,” Anwar said. “Everything transpired quickly.”
“We received the NHAI notification regarding the work the other day. Otherwise, we could have made arrangement for the work to be carried out during the Pooja holidays, when traffic would have been comparatively lean,” the MLA said.
Aluva residents and commuters echoed the opinion. “Nobody is against repair being carried out,” said V K Shaji, a librarian. “However, the unplanned manner in which they are going about it will cause much inconvenience. They could have carried out work on one bridge and then taken up the other. For the coming 10 days, traffic is going to be a mess,” he said.
Authorities will issue a notification regarding traffic arrangements on Tuesday, he said. “If heavy vehicles from Angamaly, Ernakulam and Perumbavoor are rerouted through Aluva during the days the bridges are closed, congestion will become severe,” said Shaji. Aluva struggles with traffic congestion even without such closures, he added.
According to the MLA, people’s representatives had sought moving the repair to April, when schools and colleges are closed for vacation.
“But the NHAI highlighted that any delay would imperil the safety of the bridges.”
The IITM structural safety audit also evaluated the condition and integrity of other ageing spans on the NH 544 highway corridor.
“It is not just the case of the two bridges in Aluva. The experts also listed more bridges that need structural repairs,” Anwar said.
The historic Marthanda Varma Bridge, built in the 1940s, suffers from structural wear, heavy traffic reliance and fatigue, the report said.