Coleroon islet to get road link

A high-level bridge to Ramanallur is likely to be completed in two months

The new bridge coming up across Coleroon River to link Ramanallur withAzhagiyamanavalam in Ariyalur district.

For the first time in their life, residents of Ramanallur, an islet in the Coleroon in Ariyalur district, could soon zip past the river to reach the mainland.

Work on the construction of a high-level bridge across the Coleroon to link Ramanallur with Azhagiyamanavalam village on the left bank of the river has reached the final stages and the bridge is expected to be completed by November or December, sources in the Public Works Department told The Hindu .

In the absence of connectivity, residents of the islet had remained socially and economically backward for long years.

The islet has two hamlets, Mela Ramanallur and Keezha Ramanallur, with a population of about 2,500.

Residents of the villages, including schoolchildren (the islet has an elementary school), have been crossing over the river down the ages to reach mainland for their day-to-day requirements. When water flows in the river, they use a coracle to reach the mainland.

At times of floods, the islet remained marooned.

Senior citizens and pregnant women found it impossible to access health care in time. With nearly 400 acres of fertile land on the islet, the residents were not prepared to leave the place.

But it had been an ordeal every day if they wanted to go to Thirumanur in Ariyalur district or to Kabisthalam and Papanasam in Thanjavur district on the other side.

The sanction of the bridge by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, at an estimate of Rs. 48 crore, came as a huge relief for residents and now they were all set to see it become a reality, officials said.

The bridge would connect the two habitations with Azhagiyamanavalam and provide access to surrounding villages such as Elakurichi, T. Palur, Muttuvancherry, Madhanathur, and Ariyalur town.

The bridge would run for 750 metres and have a width of 7.50 metres.

Completed

Construction of all the 24 piers had been completed fully. Pouring of wearing coat concrete and fixing of hand rails was under progress. Nearly 90 per cent of the construction work had been completed, PWD sources said.

Although the bridge was scheduled to be completed only in February 2016, the PWD was all set to complete the work ahead of the deadline.

The PWD had forwarded a proposal for the construction of another bridge to connect the islet on the right side of the Coleroon which would provide the residents quick access to Thanjavur district by avoiding a detour of 30 km.