Padaharam bridge set to be open in April

Padaharam bridge over Pampa river in Kuttanad, connecting Nedumudi and Thakazhi, set to open in April.

The Padaharam bridge over the Pampa river, connecting Nedumudi and Thakazhi grama panchayats in Kuttanad, is set to be opened to traffic in April.

Officials said the construction of the bridge had been completed, with work on the approach roads and painting still in progress. The bridge was built at a cost of ₹63.35 crore, sanctioned by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board.

The 453-metre-long bridge consists of 18 spans. As it was constructed over the National Waterway, three navigation spans have been built at the centre, each 45 metres in length and six metres in height. Another six spans have been constructed, each 35 metres in length. The rest nine spans are 12 metres each.

Officials said that Padaharam is the first ‘pathway bridge’ in the State. Footpaths, each 1.7 metres wide, have been constructed below the level of the road on both sides, offering pedestrians a scenic view of the area. “Eight watchtowers have been built in the style of Kerala architecture on the bridge. People can enjoy the beauty of paddy fields and the river from these watchtowers,” said an official.

The bridge will connect the Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) road with the Ambalappuzha-Thiruvalla road, reducing the travel distance by approximately 10 km.

The construction of the Padaharam bridge was a long-pending demand of the people of Kuttanad. The State government announced the project in the 2016-17 Budget, but it took a few more years to commence the work. The foundation stone for the project was laid by then Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran in March 2019. However, the government terminated the initial contract in December 2019 and reassigned the project to another contractor in June 2020.

The bridge is part of the proposed bypass road connecting the AC road with National Highway 66. The Nedumudi-Karuvatta road project, first proposed in 1995, passes through Nedumudi, Champakulam, Thakazhi and Karuvatta grama panchayats. To complete the project, two more bridges – Karumuttu, over Karuvatta leading channel, and Koramkuzhi connecting Thakazhi and Karuvatta panchayats – need to be constructed.