KASARAGOD: Kerala’s highest bridge, inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday, will be developed as a tourist destination, said, officials. The 120-m-long bridge across the Vavadukkam river — a tributary of the Chandragiri — at Ayamkadavu connects Pullur-Periya grama panchayat and Badiadka panchayat. Till now, residents on both sides of the river relied on boats.
At 25m, the spans of the bridge are the tallest in the state, said PWD officials. “There is a proposal to build a glass bridge so that people can enjoy the view of the river, boats and the hills around the bridge,” said an official. In the first phase, the official said an open-air stage, a food court, and a toilet block would be built at Ayamkadavu. The bridge connects summits of two hills and offers a breathtaking view of the area. It was built for Rs 17 crore as part of the Kasaragod Development Package.
“One key feature of the bridge is it does not have expansion joints. It is one smooth stretch of road,” said Abdul Rahman, owner of Jasmine Construction, which built the bridge.
The bridge and the 3.8-km Perladukam-Ayampara-Periya road would improve connectivity to places such as Madikeri and Sullia in Karnataka, apart from the different places in the district such as Kanhangad and the Central University of Kerala in Periya.
The bridge was proposed by the P Prabhakaran Commission, appointed by the former UDF government to draw up a comprehensive development package for Kasaragod district in 2012. The foundation stone for the bridge was laid by the LDF government in December 2016.
CM dedicates bridge to people
Kanhangad: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dedicated the Ayamkadavu bridge to the people. He said the LDF government had completed projects worth D20,000 crore, while the implementation of projects worth D10,000 crore was in progress. “A tourist centre will be developed around the bridge to tap the natural beauty of the place. This will boost the economy of the place,” he said. Revenue minister E Chandrasekharan presided over the function. Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan was the chief guest.