Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates Perumbalam Bridge, dedicates it to the people

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday inaugurated the Perumbalam Bridge, which connects Vaduthala in Cherthala to Perumbalam Island, bringing to an end generations of waiting for a direct road link to the mainland.

Spanning the scenic Vembanad Lake, the Perumbalam Bridge is the longest bridge in the southern state built over a backwater stretch. It connects Perumbalam Island with the Arookutty panchayat under the Aroor Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district.

Dedicating the bridge to the people, CM Vijayan said the Left government was committed to ensuring that no part of the state remained "untouched" by development. He said several development projects that would normally take 50 to 100 years to complete had been realised in the last decade under the present government.

According to him, the Perumbalam Bridge is not merely a development project, but a symbol of his government’s determination and willpower.

He described the bridge as the fulfilment of a long-cherished demand of the locals.

“Some ask whether such projects would not be implemented irrespective of which government is in power. But Kerala’s experience over the past decade shows that it is not so,” Vijayan said.

He noted that, around ten years ago, the state had several damaged roads and bridges, and a long list of development projects that had remained unimplemented for years.

Vijayan asked the gathering whether they had ever imagined that such a bridge would come up before 2016, the year the LDF government came to power. "If the LDF government is not in power, who would have taken care of the people of Perumbalam? How this bridge would have become a reality?" the CM asked.

The ultimate objective of the Left government is to create a 'Nava Kerala' where the development of the state and the welfare of its people are equally taken care of, he said. While PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyas said the state government had overcome every obstacle to make the project a reality, Dalima Jojo MLA said the bridge was only a dream for the local people once, and that the Vijayan government had made it a reality for them now.

Authorities said the new bridge will ensure smoother transport for the island's residents and visitors to the area for various purposes, and is expected to contribute significantly to the region's socio-economic development.

Until now, the islanders had depended solely on water transport, and the bridge will now provide them with direct road access to the mainland.

The project, included in the 2016-17 state budget, was completed at a cost of ₹100 crore with financial assistance from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

The structure is 1,155.40 metres in length and consists of 27 spans of 35 metres each. It also includes three bow-string arch spans of 55 metres each to ensure that water transport through the lake is not obstructed.

The bridge has a width of 11 metres and features 1.5-metre-wide pedestrian walkways on both sides. It has been designed to allow travellers to enjoy the scenic beauty of Vembanad Lake.

The bridge is also expected to open up new opportunities for tourism in Perumbalam, which has significant tourism potential, they added.