THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the opening of the `13-crore Pappanamcode Sathyan Nagar-Mudavanmugal bridge to traffic, the incomplete approach road and culvert continue to impact its full utilisation, with land disputes and court cases delaying the remaining work.
The reopening of the bridge, which is expected to connect hundreds of people and commuters on both sides of a river, would have been a major help to many.
The public works department has informed the Kerala State Human Rights Commission that commuters are unable to utilise the bridge to its full potential because of the issue.
In a report submitted to the commission following a joint site inspection, the PWD superintending engineer cited land disputes, litigation, labour shortage and complications in shifting old underground water pipelines as reasons for the delay.
The actual schedule for the completion of the project was July 24, 2025. Subsequently, the deadline was extended until April 24, 2026. The commission had registered a suo motu case based on a news report highlighting the delay and directed the superintending engineer to inspect the site.
The inspection was conducted on July 20 in the presence of the corporation secretary, local body representatives and engineering officials.
The department said the main portion of the bridge was opened even before the completion of the approach road to provide connectivity between Sathyan Nagar and Mudavanmugal.
The residents in the area had depended on country boats for transportation for decades.
Apart from land disputes and court proceedings, a severe shortage of workers following the general elections affected the progress of the work. The shifting of over four-decades-old underground pipelines by KWA is also another challenge, said the report.
The PWD has issued strict directives to Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), the contractor, to complete the pending works, including the approach road, drainage protection wall and BMBC tarring, with the cooperation of councillors and corporation officials, within the stipulated deadline.
