Inordinate delays of girder installation to prolong wait for Arappuzha bridge in Kozhikode

Ramanattukara: Installation of girders for the new bridge under construction at Arappuzha, across the Chaliyar River on the National Highway, continues to face delays. It has been four months since the pillars were completed, but the girders have still not been installed.

The girders, manufactured in Pune, need to be transported by special vehicles for installation. The necessary procedures for this are currently delayed.

This third bridge is being constructed on the eastern side of the six-lane highway, designed to accommodate two lanes of traffic. The bridge, spanning 296 meters, will feature 11 spans, including land spans, and will have a width of 10.5 meters. A 1.5-meter footpath will be incorporated on its eastern side. Pile caps have been completed on all nine pillars. Each span requires the installation of three girders.

Currently, Arappuzha is served by two bridges for traffic. Upon completion of this third bridge, six-lane traffic will become possible.

Originally, the National Highways Authority (NHAI) had planned to construct two large bridges at Arappuzha, on the Ramanattukara-Vengalam six-lane highway, in addition to the existing two-lane bridge. However, this plan was later revised, and it was decided that one new bridge would be sufficient. The NHAI then constructed a new bridge at Arappuzha designed for three-lane traffic.

Following this, yet another new bridge is being constructed on the eastern side of the road. Work on this third bridge, undertaken as per a new tender, commenced in November 2024.