Crack in bridge disrupts traffic

Kochi: A hole the size of a car tyre opened up on the decrepit bridge along MC Road at Kalady on Saturday, resulting in a pile up of vehicles. This is one of the state’s busiest stretches, connecting Kochi airport to Idukki and Kottayam. A portion of the concrete slab gave way at 8 am, exposing the iron bars and leaving a clear opening, measuring nearly 1.5 m in length and about 0.6 m in width, left of the entry to the bridge from Kalady.

Activists of the LDF and BJP called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in protest against the 'laxity' of the authorities to repair the bridge. “The 400-m bridge, constructed in 1963, has had no major repairs carried out. But the present government had allotted Rs 42 crore for the construction of a new parallel bridge in March 2012 for which the alignment was fixed last June. However, the Left MLAs Jose Thettayil
and Saju Paul have been  opposing the project, seeking instead a bypass-cum-bridge, which is not feasible,” said Adv Sabu K B, President, Kalady gramapanchayat.

The Left parties have been maintaining that the bridge was the main reason for traffic congestion in the area. “The route is used to access Cochin airport, which is only 10 km away  from here. With heavy traffic congestion, vehicles to the the airport and the northern side were being diverted through Aluva,” said Jiju Thomas, a local resident.

Meanwhile PWD Minister assures of prompt action

PWD Minister, Ebrahim Kunju assured on Saturday that the gap on the Sree Sankara Bridge in Kalady would be fixed soon and traffic restored in  two days. “We have already started the repair work. I’ve directed  senior officials, including the chief engineer and the superintendent engineer to monitor it and ensure it is completed soon,’’ he said. As for the proposed parallel bridge and approach roads, he said the department had already completed the land survey and the construction would begin soon.

The current bridge, which is 400 metres long and 22 feet wide, was constructed in 1963. The state government proposes to build another 7.50 metre-wide bridge with a 1.5 metre walkway, parallel to it at a cost of  Rs 42 crore.