Ayamkadavu: Kerala’s highest bridge inaugurated; to be developed into a tourist spot

Kerala’s highest bridge, which was recently inaugurated by state CM Pinarayi Vijayan, will now be developed into a tourist destination. The 120 m long bridge has been built across Vavadukkam river, which is a tributary of Chandragiri, at Ayamkadavu, and will be connecting Pullur-Periya gram panchayat and Badiadka panchayat. Till date, locals from both sides relied on boats to cross the river.

The spans of the bridge, standing at a height of 25 m, are the tallest in the state. As per the reports, there is also a proposal to build a glass bridge so that people can enjoy views of the river, boats and the hills around the bridge. Referring to this, an official stated that during the first phase, a food court, an open-air stage, and a toilet block would be built at Ayamkadavu.
The bridge had been built for INR 17 crore as part of the Kasaragod Development Package, and connects summits of two hills, apart from offering breathtaking views of the area.

Further, the bridge and the 3.8 km Perladukam-Ayampara-Periya road would also help improve connectivity to places, such as Sullia and Madikeri in Karnataka, apart from the other places in the district like Kanhangad and the Central University of Kerala in Periya.
The bridge was proposed by the P Prabhakaran Commission, which was appointed by the then government to draw up a comprehensive development package for Kasaragod district in 2012; the foundation stone for the bridge was laid in December 2016.