The Irrigation department has begun preliminary works to demolish the navigation lock and bridge over the Kollam-Kottappuram National Waterway-3 at Thrikkunnapuzha in Alappuzha. The bridge, which is hampering the smooth movement of cargo through the NW-3, will be rebuilt.
Officials on Wednesday said that cables and other utilities were being shifted and the demolition would begin in the coming days.
The present bridge has a vertical clearance of 4.6 metres. The new bridge and lock will be constructed with a vertical clearance of six metres. The Ministry of Shipping has sanctioned ₹38 crore for the reconstruction. The project, according to officials, will be completed in 15 months.
In view of the demolition and reconstruction works, a temporary steel bridge has been built for the movement of two-wheelers and pedestrians at Thrikkunnapuzha. A jhankar service has been arranged for other vehicles.
The NW-3 was developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). It was inaugurated almost two decades ago with the aim of transporting bulk cargo through water instead of roads. To facilitate the transhipment of cargo, IWAI has constructed terminals along the NW-3, including four in Alappuzha. Twenty-hour navigation aids comprising navigational buoys and solar-operated LED lights have been provided in the entire stretch of NW-3. However, the waterway’s potential was not yet fully utilised partly due to the delay in reconstructing the lock and bridge.
Officials said that once the lock and bridge were reconstructed and NW-3 was made fully operational, it would help augment eco-friendly and economic modes of transportation of cargo and people between places. .
