The construction of a bridge over Vembanad Lake connecting Perumbalam island to the mainland is inching closer to completion.
Officials said that 80% of the project had been completed. “The work has entered the final phase. The bridge is expected to be opened for traffic before the end of this year,” said an official.
The major pending works include four slabs and the construction of approach roads on both sides of the bridge. The ₹100-crore project is funded under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
The bridge, linking Perumbalam and Vaduthala in Arookutty, has 30 spans, including three navigation spans. Of these, 27 were constructed at a length of 35 m each, while the three in the middle were built at 55 m each. The bowstring arch bridge has a length of over 1,110 m and a width of 11 m. The carriageway will have a width of 7.5 m. Footpaths on both sides will have a width of 1.5 m.
Land acquisition for constructing approach roads on the Perumbalam and Vaduthala sides was completed last year. Officials said that once completed approach roads would have a total length of 650 m.
The construction of the bridge was a long pending demand of the people of Perumbalam, the only island grama panchayat in Alappuzha. The bridge will make travel hassle-free for around 15,000 islanders who currently use boats to commute between their village and the mainland. It is part of the government’s wider plan to connect the Cherthala-Arookutty road with the Vaikom-Poothotta-Thripunithura State highway through Perumbalam island. In the next phase, the government plans to construct a bridge connecting Perumbalam island and Vattavayal island. A third bridge will be constructed between Vattavayal and Poothotta.
The construction of all three bridges is expected to make commuting easy between Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts.
The Perumbalam bridge work is being carried out by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society.