After 10-year wait, Kumbalam-Thevara bridge work to begin

Kochi: After a decade of bureaucratic hurdles and design revisions, Kumbalam-Thevara bridge is finally moving toward construction. Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) has officially invited tenders for the project, for which budgetary allocation was made way back in 2016.The project, which involves civil works costing Rs 77.3 crore, is set to transform commuting for residents in Kochi's southern outskirts. Currently, residents of Kumbalam and nearby regions are forced to navigate a 16km detour via the congested Aroor-Edappally stretch of NH 66 to reach the city area. The new link will slash that travel distance by 10km and save commuters approximately 30 minutes of transit time.The project faced stiff opposition from Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), which argued that the original design would obstruct vessel movement on national waterway 3. To satisfy federal requirements, engineers had to revise the bridge's alignment five times and its design six times."Tender for constructing the bridge, 714.70m long and curved in shape, has been invited. We aim to complete the bridge construction in two years," said a senior KRFB official.The bridge will be supported by 23 pillars spanning Kumbalam lake. The structure will start at Thevara Ferry and end at the land adjacent to Water Metro terminal at Kumbalam."The required land and other necessary clearances, including Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) certificate, have been obtained. We aim to start construction in two months," the official added.Once completed, the bridge will serve as a vital bypass, allowing residents of Kumbalam, Aroor, Nettoor and Thevara to access city centre without getting trapped in the bottleneck traffic of national highway. KRFB has set a strict 730-day (two-year) timeline for completion once contract is awarded.For the local community, who held hunger strikes a decade ago to demand this connectivity, it is the fulfilment of a long-denied promise."Bridge will facilitate development of southern areas like Kumbalam, Aroor and Panangad. Locals had strived hard for connectivity and the then govt allocated Rs 97.45 crore for the project. It will also serve as an alternative route to Alappuzha side," said Kumbalam councillor Vinayan V K.