Completion of the construction of the new bridge across the Korappuzha river on the National Highway connecting Kozhikode city and Kannur is set to be delayed as only 40% of the work has been finished so far.
The bridge under construction should have been completed by April-May. But now it is scheduled to be completed in August, a senior Public Works Department (PWD) official said.
The finished works included construction of two of the seven spans of the bridge. Also, the piling works for the 224-metre bridge has been completed. It was the devastating floods of last monsoon that delayed the completion of the new bridge, he said.
The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Limited (ULCCS) had bagged the contract for the construction ₹27.17 crore. The demolition work of the old bridge began in mid-December, 2018.
Constructed during the British era, the 80-year- old bridge became unmotorable due to the plying of heavy vehicles. This apart, it was frequently closed to vehicular traffic for repair work.
Then the government proposed the construction of a new bridge. The Kerala Road Fund Board had channelised the funds for the project through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board. The new bridge will be constructed with bowstring arch girder with Macalloy suspension.
The new bridge with pile foundation will have improved vertical clearance level from the water. So also, the bridge will be constructed with footpaths. The demolished bridge had only 5.5 metres width and had no footpaths that posed a risk to pedestrian safety. Now the width proposed for the new bridge is 12.5 metres.
Earlier there was also a delay in securing the technical sanction, thus resulting in the postponement of calling tenders. This decision should have come January- February of 2018 and the the construction work should have begin in August that year.
As of now, buses halt either at Korappuzha and Elathur on both sides of the river. Vehicles proceeding from Kozhikode city to Koyilandy side take the Vengalm-Pooladikunnu- Pavangad route and vice versa.
The PWD has reconstructed the footbridge across the Korappuzha that was damaged in the floods so as to solve the travel woes of the residents in and around Elathur. Previously the ULCCS has constructed a jetty at Elathur for conducting boat services. But now it has been demolished.