ALAPPUZHA: The half-a-century-old dream of more than 15,000 people of Perumbalam Island, the lone island panchayat in the state, is set to be realised soon. The Rs 100-crore bridge over Vembanad lake, connecting their island and Arookutty is nearing completion.
Initiated in 2019, the bridge is expected to be thrown open to the public by April, marking a significant milestone for the residents of Perumbalam Island.
Designed as a bowstring arch with 31 pillars, the bridge is 1.115 km long and 11 m wide, and has a 7.5-m-wide carriageway, said Aroor MLA Daleema. “It also has footpaths on both sides, each 1.5m wide, which had been a demand of the panchayat residents. The bridge will provide islanders easy access to the Cherthala-Arookutty road and the NH66 in Aroor,” she said.
Sareesh Kumar, a Perumbalam resident, said former public works minister G Sudhakaran’s initiative played a major role in making the project a reality. “The minister, along with former Aroor MLA and ex-Alappuzha MP A M Ariff, took the initiative for the project. Ferry boats and jankar services were the lone transportation facilities available for islanders earlier and at nights, there was transportation mode, causing hardships for residents. Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), the contracting company, also played a leading role in implementing the project in a time-bound manner,” Sareesh said.
Rijo Thomas Mathew, executive engineer, Kerala Road Fund Board, said the structure has 30 spans in all — 27 spans of 35m each and three navigation spans of 55m each for waterway clearance.
“In addition to the main structure, a 650-m-long approach road is nearing completion on both ends of the bridge. A total 79 cents of land was acquired at Vaduthala and 189 cents at Perumbalam for the approach roads. Painting and installation of lights are expected to be finished by the end of March,” Rijo said.
Funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, the project faced initial delays due to disputes over awarding of contract and land acquisition, which postponed the expected completion from 2022 to 2025. The ULCCS began work on the bridge in January 2021.
The Perumbalam bridge is part of a broader government initiative to enhance connectivity across the Cherthala-Arookutty road, linking it with the Vaikom-Poothotta-Tripunithura state highway via Perumbalam Island.
In subsequent phases, a bridge will be constructed between Perumbalam and Vattavayal Island, followed by a third bridge connecting Vattavayal and Poothotta. Once completed, the network of bridges will simplify travel across Ernakulam, Alappuzha, and Kottayam districts, besides boosting the tourism potential of the island.
Island link
Built over Vembanad lake, the bridge connects Perumbalam Island and Arookutty
Length: 1,115m
Estimated cost: L100 cr
Number of spans: 30
Navigational spans: 3
Total land acquired for approach roads: 268 cents
Work commenced: January 2021
Area of Perumbalam Island: 6 sq km
Population: 15,000