KOCHI: Expected to provide connectivity to regions spread across the Perandoor canal, the Vaduthala-Perandoor bridge is set to become a reality.
With the contract process completed, work will begin soon on the project. The bridge will serve as a major connectivity option for commuters from the Pachalam and Chittoor areas to key city centres like Edappally.
The project, proceedings for which began in 2016, had been caught up in technical difficulties regarding implementation. As land acquisition was completed in 2023, with 13.5 acres acquired in Vaduthala and 10.56 acres in Perandoor, the Rs 34-crore project — including land acquisition cost — was finally approved in 2025.
“The bridge will provide crucial connectivity between the Pachalam-Vaduthala regions and the Perandoor area. The project gained impetus in 2019, resolving issues like Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) hindrances. It will also offer some relief to the traffic congestion witnessed in the city,” Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod said.
After five companies submitted bids, GM Engineers and Contractors secured the contract to build the Vaduthala-Perandoor bridge. The contractor is expected to sign an agreement with the public works department soon.
“We have a railway bridge there and people have been walking beside the track to cross the canal for a very long time. The demand for a road bridge has been a long-pending one,” said Vaduthala West councillor Henry Austin.
“The approach roads to the bridge will begin from the path leading to the Perandoor temple on one side and the Vaduthala cape on the other. The lack of sufficient width for the approach road puts a question mark on the feasibility of operating public transport vehicles through the bridge, but it would be a good relief for small and private vehicles,” he added.
The bridge is expected to cut travel time in a big way on the Pachalam-Edappally route.
“Now, all vehicles coming through the Container Road choose the Vaduthala-Pachalam route, cross the railway overbridge there, and proceed to Edappally via Pottakuzhy. This route is around 5 to 6 km long. The new bridge can reduce the distance to 1-2 km,” Austin added.
The Vaduthala-Perandoor bridge, along with two other bridges in the region — the Pachalam railway overbridge and the proposed Vaduthala railway overbridge — will ease traffic congestion in the region to a great extent. The alternative paths set to come up are expected to help ease traffic in key parts of the city traffic as well.
