Pathanamthitta: As the New Year dawns, the banks of the Pamba River are set to witness the debut of a new engineering technology. Temporary bridges leading to the sandbank venue of the 131st edition of the Maramon Convention are being constructed using an innovative approach.

Instead of the traditional coconut trunk structures, large mild steel pipes measuring 700 mm in diameter and iron girders modelled on Bailey bridge technology are being employed this year.

The construction follows precise designs, supported by laptops and advanced survey and monitoring systems. The first bridge, connecting the Cheppalli Purayidam area on the Maramon side to the convention ground, has already been completed.

Piling works for the bridge from the Nedumbrayar bank and the bridge connecting the Maramon Retreat Centre to the sandbank have already commenced. Components fabricated in Ernakulam were transported to the site and assembled, with approximately 110 tonnes of steel used in constructing the structure.

The bridge in front of the Retreat Centre will be four metres wide, while the other two bridges will have a width of three metres each. Though vehicular access to the river is restricted, the bridge will allow fire force vehicles and ambulances to reach the sandbank during emergencies.

Special arrangements have also been made to ensure uninterrupted movement of country boats and ferries through the ghats. The sides of these bridges will be reinforced with iron nets and the pedestrian pathway will be laid with carpet over five-mm-thick steel plates.

The construction is being executed by Advance Engineering Infrastructure, an Ernakulam-based firm, with a team of 20 workers, including skilled labourers from Champakulam. The company’s managing director, Sony Scaria Pattaparambil, a native of Puthuppally, said the contract was secured after responding to an open tender published in newspapers. The design of these bridges has been approved by Thrissur Engineering College.

Special arrangements have been made to dismantle and store the bridges after the convention. Once the event concludes, the steel girders and other components will be stored at Cheppalli Purayidam, property owned by the church. The company will provide bridge construction services for up to 15 years.

The bridges are expected to be completed by January 25, well ahead of the convention scheduled to begin on February 8. Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association General Secretary Rev. Aby K Joshua said the bridges are being built in a cost-effective manner.