Kerala floods: New bridge at Periyavara to be opened on Sunday

IDUKKI: The new temporary bridge, built at

Periyavara

on the Munnar-Marayoor route, will be opened on Sunday. The bridge will connect tourists to Rajamala tourist zone and the

Eravikulam National Park

.

Last week, the much-awaited blooming of Neelakurinji was reported from the Eravikulam park and a huge inflow of tourists is expected in the coming days.

Landslides had destroyed the old bridge on August 15 disrupting the traffic on the Munnar-Marayoor route.

"The construction of the temporary bridge has been completed and it will be opened to traffic on Sunday. Only single-line of traffic will be allowed on the bridge," said

Devikulam

tehsildar P K Shaji.

"Now, all routes in

Munnar

have been opened and we expect an increase in tourist arrivals in the coming days as connectivity has been restored," said V V George, president of the Munnar Hotel and Resorts Association.

A series of landslides had damaged several roads and bridges in and around Munnar, isolating the region. Presently, traffic has resumed on all major routes.

State home secretary Subratho Bishwas had visited the landslide affected areas in Munnar on Saturday. The team visited Plum Judy, a resort in Pallivasal, which was damaged in a landslide, the Munnar Government College and the newly-built Periyavara Bridge.