KOCHI: Decks have been cleared for the construction of the Vaduthala railway overbridge (ROB) and the Perandoor-Vaduthala bridge.
It has been a decade since Vaduthala ROB received its initial administrative sanction in the state budget. On Wednesday, Public Works Minister P K Basheer will launch the construction of both bridges. The projects had been stalled for years, due to delays in administrative sanction, land acquisition, technical sanction, tendering, utility relocation, and other procedures.
The Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) is constructing the overbridge. The structure, coming up at railway level crossing number 69, is one of the city’s major infrastructure development projects. The project, which got financial approval through KIIFB, has been allotted `91.89 crore. This includes `67.87 crore for land acquisition, which has been completed, according to RBDCK.
“Technical approval and tendering procedures have been completed. The contract has been awarded to M/s Cherian Varkey Construction Company Pvt Ltd. The tender amount is `18.80 crore and the work completion period is 24 months. The total cost of the project is approximately `88.58 crore. This includes utility relocation and land acquisition costs,” an RBDCK official said.
The total length of the overbridge is 372.78m. The railway span will have a length of 43.45m. The bridge will have a width of 10.15m, with a 7.50-m-wide carriageway and a 1.50-m-wide footpath on one side. The bridge will be constructed on a reinforced cement concrete (RCC) pile foundation. Prestressed concrete girders and RCC slabs will be used in the main structure of the bridge. The approach road on the Vaduthala side will be 181.25 m long while the one on the opposite side will be 148.08m long.
“The bridge will help ease traffic by eliminating the railway level crossing while also reducing traffic congestion in the area and saving travel time, and thereby help reduce the risk of accidents,” Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod said.
Vaduthala-Perandoor bridge
The Vaduthala-Perandoor bridge is being constructed across the Perandoor canal.
“This bridge will be an important transport route, helping people reach Kaloor quickly from Container Road via Vaduthala and avoid the congested NH. The project has received administrative approval for `34.24 crore. This includes the cost for land acquisition and various utility relocation work. As per the revised alignment, approximately 34 cents have been acquired on the Perandoor side and 55 cents on the Vaduthala side. The necessary permissions from various departments for bridge construction and CRZ clearance have been obtained,” the MLA said.
Tendering procedures have been completed, with GM Engineers and Contractors receiving the work, he said. The completion period is two years. The proposed bridge will have a length of 153.60m and a total width of 11m. Along with a 7.50-m-wide carriageway, there will be 1.50-m-wide footpaths on both sides. The bridge will include two spans of 25.70m each, one span of 26m, and six land spans of 12.50m each.
Service roads 125 metres long will be constructed on both sides of the approach road on the Vaduthala side and a 125-metre-long service road set to be laid on one side of the approach road on the Perandoor side.
STARTED IN 2016
2016: Received initial administrative nod in the state budget (estimated around D35 crore)
2017: DPR approved by KIIFB for an amount of D47.72 crore
2021: Railway Board approved the new alignment after resolving height clearance discussions with the Indian Navy
2023: Revenue authorities planned notification and rehabilitation packages for land acquisition to resolve disputes with local traders
2025: Land taken possession
2025: Work was re-tendered but only one bid received. Hence, the work was re-tendered again. The agreement with contractor M/s Cherian Varkey Construction Co (P) Ltd was executed and the Notice to Proceed issued
2026: Final structural design received clearance from IIT Madras
Specifications & estimate
Total cost: D88.58 crore (including D18.80 crore for construction, D67.87 crore for land acquisition and D1.91 crore for statutory shifting)
Executing Agency: RBDCK, funded via KIIFB
Dimensions: 372.78 m long and 10.15 m wide (with a 7.5m-wide carriageway and a 1.5m-wide footpath)
