After a 12-day closure for repairs, the bridge across the Canolly canal at Karaparamba Junction was opened to vehicular traffic on Monday evening.
A gaping hole was detected in the middle of the bridge in the first week of this month. Subsequently the Public Works Department (PWD) entrusted the repair to the Vadakara-based Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society. A sum of Rs. 20 lakh has been spent for the work, officials said.
Initially it was thought that the bridge was in danger. But the PWD authorities, after carrying out a check, clarified that the beams of the 42-year-old bridge were intact. “Now the bridge has been fully concreted and the slabs of the footpath replaced. The approach roads have also been raised and tarred. The patchworks at the accident-prone Karaparamba junction and on the Karaparamba-Karikkamkulam road have also been completed,” said P.T. Santhoshkumar, Assistant Engineer, PWD.
However, a thorough maintenance will be done by the Kerala Road Fund Board under the city road improvement programme. The patchworks are only a temporary measure.
Most of the potholes had developed on the one-km stretch of the Narikunni-Balussery State Highway following the digging of the road by the Kerala Water Authority for repairing the leaky water supply pipes. “Even today a repair was carried out in the last moment,” Mr. Santhoshkumar said.
The closure of the bridge had given a difficult time to commuters travelling to Karikkamkulam, Kakkodi, Florican Road and Providence Women’s College via Karaparamba junction. They had to take the alternate Karaparamba-Kunduparamba route to reach Thaneerpandal. Vehicles coming from Kakkodi side to the city took the route via Vengeri- Kozhikode Bypass route to reach Malaparamba junction.
However, two-wheelers and autorickshaws used the narrow road from the bus bay on the State highway along the Canolly canal leading to the Karaparamba bazaar.