KOLLAM: Nearly six years after construction began, the Perumon-Perumthuruthu bridge across Ashtamudi Lake remains unfinished, with delays in design, cost revision, deployment of specialised machinery and payment of bills slowing progress on the project.
The 417-metre bridge connecting Perumon and Perumthuruthu was launched in November 2020 with funding from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) as the implementing agency.
The project was initially expected to be completed within one-and-a-half years. However, the bridge is yet to be completed, with no firm deadline for its opening.
Construction of 10 spans from both banks progressed at a brisk pace, but work stalled after the remaining 154-metre central section was planned as a cable-stayed bridge. The design was intended to improve the bridge’s strength and appearance while speeding up construction. It would also eliminate the need for heavy foundation work in the deeper section of the lake and allow large vessels to pass without obstruction.
The design for the central section had not been prepared when construction began, forcing the contractor to suspend work until the drawings were made available.
Although the design was eventually finalised after months of uncertainty, further delays followed over revising the project estimate based on the new design.
The introduction of specialised construction methods also required machinery and skilled workers, while delays in releasing bill payments to the contractor added to the setbacks.
The central section is being constructed as a cable-stayed bridge supported by steel cables connected to two H-shaped towers, known as pylons.
