KOCHI: The apprehensions of the residents of Thevara should be allayed before commencing the construction of the Kumbalam-Thevara bridge, Hibi Eden MLA said here on Friday. In a letter sent to the Public Works Department (PWD), Hibi said the people at Thevara had already raised their concern on the alignment of the proposed bridge.
The proposed bridge is of 668.7 m long and 12 m wide. However, the width of the road from where the bridge will land is only six metre. Hence, 22-m wide road (including service roads) need to be constructed to a length of 80 meters from the landing portion of the bridge. For the purpose, nearly 35 cents of land need to be acquired.
There are many houses and business establishments in these areas. “The present road development plan may even affect the Pandit Karuppan Hall. The common opinion is that the alignment should be changed and if it is landed in the western side, approach road can be developed towards the road leading to Parambithara bridge. The land acquisition will also be easier. It will also help in easing the traffic congestion in the six-meter wide Thevara Ferry road,” said Hibi Eden.
He said a master plan is already under preparation for the overall development of Thevara. “The master plan and the related projects will be implemented in consultation with E Sreedharan. So, the new bridge should be designed and implemented in such a way that we should be able to incorporate it within the master plan,” added Hibi.