An earlier proposal submitted by the Public Works Department (PWD) to acquire land for the construction of a new bridge across the Korappuzha is likely to be dropped by the government following stringent opposition from landowners in the region.
Taking the mass protest into account, the PWD is planning to consider a fresh proposal, which will look into the reconstruction of the old bridge at the same spot after making alternative traffic arrangements.
Fund factorThe PWD Engineering Wing hopes that the proposal is likely to materialise in time with the sufficient allocation of funds by the government. They also place hope on people’s representatives from the district to get the project mentioned in the next Budget. The reconstruction of the bridge on the National Highway is remaining crucial, as it is already over 76 years since its construction in 1938. Though 40 years is considered the lifetime of a bridge, it has hardly resulted in finding a swift remedy.
As a precaution, only one-way traffic for heavy vehicles is currently allowed.
TrafficUnder the new plan, the department hopes that they will be able to manage the traffic flow on the busy highway also by diverting it to the new Kozhikode bypass road. Vehicles coming from the Kozhikode and Kannur sides can be easily diverted via the new bypass road after the completion of the full works. Moreover, the project will not face mass protests against land acquisition, sources say.
In the earlier plan, the PWD had identified a 41-metre site to the west of the existing bridge. The bridge was to be 220 metres long and 10.5 metres wide. An approach road too was required to be laid.
Since it was projected as a suitable alternative then, the government had agreed to sanction Rs.35 crore in the annual Plan for 2013-14.
The project did not take off owing to land acquisition delays.