“One hundred and eighteen bridges are being built at various places in the state with a total outlay of Rs 600 crore. The Onjithode bridge near Kadungallur, connecting the town of Aluva and the industrial zones at Eloor and Edamalayar, is one among them,” PWD Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju has said.
“The work can be started from today and the necessary funds have been allotted to the Kadungallur panchayat,” he said.
The Minister was laying the foundation stone for the new bridge at Onjithode near Kadungallur on Tuesday. The new bridge will be 67 metre high and 8.5 metres wide and is scheduled to be completed in 18 months.
The bridge will be constructed parallel to the existing one, which was built in 1965 at the time of K A Damodara Menon, the then Industries Minister. It was his idea to develop an industrial zone in Edayar and Eloor.
“The bridge which was built for single lane traffic has outgrown its capacity with the passage of time and the plan for a new one was framed,” said the Minister.
He also urged the people there to co-operate wholeheartedly with the widening of the road which has become a necessity.
He said that already plans have been framed to acquire space from both sides of the road extending from Thottakkattukara to Alangad. The Rs 3.25 crore fund required for the first stretch extending from Kadungallur to Alangad, has been given to the panchayat.
If the road is not broadened, then the traffic density in the area and the congestion owing to the same cannot be curbed, he said.
The new government has started improving infrastructure facilities in the state and most important among them are roads and bridges. The government has aimed for the completion of these 118 bridges in two year’s time.
The Minister said that he hoped to fulfil the aim without a revision of the budget estimate and draining the state exchequer. Panchayat president K K Jinnas presided over the function.
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