Muppini bridge crosses hurdles, nears completion to end Malappuram's long wait

Bringing an end to a long wait, the Muppini Bridge is finally nearing reality. The concrete slabs for the new bridge have been successfully laid.

Construction of the safety railings is currently underway, and work on the approach roads on both sides of the bridge has also commenced. Local residents are hopeful that if the remaining work continues at this pace, the bridge can be opened to traffic within two months.

The new bridge was sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) after the old structure was structurally compromised. During a previous severe flood, uprooted trees washed down by the raging Punnappuzha river had crashed heavily into the old bridge, weakening its foundation. Consequently, the old bridge was demolished, and construction on the new 90-metre-long and 8.4-metre-wide bridge began in January 2025.

The new bridge is being built using advanced, flood-resilient engineering designs to withstand extreme weather events.

However, the project was not without its hurdles. Soon after work began, progress slowed to a crawl, triggering widespread protests from local residents. Malayala Manorama had previously highlighted the issue, reporting that even the construction of the pillars had not been completed despite the contract deadline of the first week of January 2026 drawing close.

The project finally gained momentum following the intervention of MLA Aryadan Shoukath, who helped resolve clearance issues regarding the construction of the approach road through the Muppini forest patch, paving the way for the fast-tracked completion of the bridge.