Athikkayam/ Pathanamthitta: The approach road to the Athikkayam Kochupalam bridge, which was damaged following the release of water through a pipeline, has been restored by the Kerala Water Authority.

The damage happened on June 10 after water was inadvertently released from a pipe, unaware that the Authority’s pipelines had been temporarily removed for bridge maintenance. The force of the water led to significant erosion of the road, which had originally been constructed through funds raised by local residents.

As part of the repair work, new pipelines were laid over the bridge along the Athikkayam–Guru Mandiram–Kadumeenchira Road. Fresh pipes were installed to connect the sunken section of the road with the existing lines on the other side. The damaged stretch was then concreted and levelled, and the dug-up areas were filled in to ensure uninterrupted vehicular movement.

The road was acquired under the Rebuild Kerala project, with ₹3.5 crore sanctioned for the reconstruction of the bridge and the concreting of the road. However, the contractor abandoned the work after completing the stretch only up to Guru Mandiram–Kadumeenchira. Subsequently, a section of the bridge’s protection wall also collapsed.

Following this, the local action council stepped in to rebuild the wall by raising ₹5 lakh through community contributions.