The Archaeology Department will soon make the 120-year-old Kundamankadavu bridge a protected monument, Minister for Archaeology and Archives Kadanappally Ramachandran said in a written reply in the Assembly to a question by I.B. Satheesh.
The steel suspension bridge across the Karamana river, on the Thiruvananthapuram-Malayinkeezhu-Kattakada route, dates back to 1898. Though a new concrete bridge was built near it in 2015, the old bridge still accommodates light motor vehicles. The demand to retain the bridge as a protected structure goes back a decade.
Years of neglect and the earlier heavy traffic had taken a heavy toll on the bridge, which provided a vital link between the city and the suburbs. Local people had demanded reconstruction of the old bridge.
A number of bridges in the city were built in the pre-Independence era. Most such bridges, with narrow carriageways, were designed mainly for bullock carts and small vehicles.
Several of the bridges maintained by the Public Works Department have more historic value than road-worthiness.
Quite a few bridges in the city have crossed the century mark. The Kundamankadavu iron-girder bridge is the oldest in the city.
The three-span Maruthankuzhy bridge, the second oldest, was reconstructed some years ago.
Those on the list
To a question by C. Divakaran, on the monuments in the district that were being conserved by the Archaeology Department, Mr. Ramachandran said these included the Madavoorpara rock-cut temple at Airoorpara; Thirunarayanapuram Vishnu temple at Ottur, Chirayinkeezhu; Thrivikramangalam temple at Thamalam; Neeramankara temple; Vizhinjam Bhagavathy temple; Vishnu temple at Aruvikkara; Koyikkal palace at Nedumangad; Pandavanpara; Fort walls around Sree Padmanabhawamy temple, Fort gates, and sites on which they stand; Ayyippilla Asan and Ayyini Pilla Asan Smaraka Mandapam at Kovalam; Travancore military headquarters at Palayam; Iornvilla at Vanchiyoor; Vadakke Nambi Matham at Vanchiyoor; Pushpanjali Swamiyar Madham at Vanchiyoor; Nityachelavu Bungalow, Rangavilasam Palace, and palace outhouse; Rangavilasam Palace annexe; Thevarpura and Koppupura at Vanchiyoor; Sundara Vilasam Palace; Chokkathal Mandapam; Chellamvaka; Utsavamadam; Ramanamadham; Navarathri mandapam; Krishnavilasom Palace; Peshkar Office; Kuzhimalika, Bhajanapura Malika, Ananthavilasom Palace and outhouse; Kuthiramalika; Moodathu Matham; Sreepadam Palace; Kilimanoor Palace; Saraswathy Vilasom Palace, Kowdiar Palace; Perattil Vazhiyambalam, Rock temple at Vizhinjam; and Dr. Palpu’s birth house.
The Minister said ₹1.85 crore had been spent for protecting them.
