NHAI invites tender for new bridge at Moorad

KOZHIKODE: After a long wait, a new bridge replacing the old one at Moorad is going to come up. National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) has invited e-tender to build a new Moorad bridge on NH-66 and a small bridge at Palolipalam nearby at an estimated cost of Rs 51.66 crore.

Besides, the four-lane bridge, 2.1 km service road will also come up at Moorad.

The 79-year old bridge had been causing traffic snarls on the Kozhikode-Kannur highway frequently. Heavy load lorries get stuck on it, forming long queues of vehicles on either side of the road.

Buses had to cut short trips and suffer losses due to the congestion.Many critically ill patients had their last breath at the bridge on the way to hospitals in Kozhikode due to the block. Unlike, Korapuzha bridge, there's no bypass to reach Kozhikode.

Though the state government had allocated Rs 50 crore for the construction of a new bridge in 2016, the fund was not able to use due to confusion over alignment the NHAI had drawn. Now, it has been clear that the new bridge will come up on the same alignment of the four-lane NH development.

The tender says that the work should be completed within one and a half year."A new bridge at Moorad is a long pending demand. It would ease the traffic between Kozhikode and Kannur in a big way," said Vadakara MLA C.K. Nanu.