Traffic crisis deepens in Cherthala town as bridge works drag on

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Cherthala: With construction of the St Mary’s Bridge in Cherthala town moving at a sluggish pace, the deteriorating condition of the adjacent iron bridge, now riddled with cracks and facing serious safety concerns, has plunged traffic in the area into a crisis.
The St Mary’s Bridge and the adjacent iron bridge span the SS Canal and form a vital link on the main route through Cherthala. The St Mary’s Bridge, located near the private bus stand, was dismantled three years ago to make way for a new structure. However, despite the passage of time, delays in completing the new bridge have created a major traffic bottleneck in the heart of the town.
Work on the bridge had reached about 45% completion when the Irrigation Department issued a stop-work notice to the Public Works Department, citing technical issues. The absence of discussions between these two departments stalled further progress of works until Minister P Prasad intervened and granted approval to resume the reconstruction.
While much of the upper deck and structural components of the new bridge are now complete, public frustration has grown due to the slow pace of work on the approach roads.

Meanwhile, the old iron bridge has lost structural strength significantly and is long overdue for reconstruction. However, work on it cannot begin until the St Mary’s Bridge is fully operational. These two bridges serve as critical connectors between the National Highway and Cherthala town and with heavy vehicles currently banned from the iron bridge, even KSRTC buses are struggling to access the area.
If the iron bridge were to be dismantled now, traffic in Cherthala would grind to a complete halt.
The iron bridge is being reconstructed by the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) with financial support from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The new bridge, designed to be 31 metres long and 14 metres wide, will cost ₹20.61 crore. Land acquisition for the project has already been completed.
Vehicle users are now demanding the immediate completion of the St Mary’s Bridge so that the iron bridge reconstruction can proceed without further delay.