Work on bridge linking hills starts in Kasargod district

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 26,2017: After a series of technical hurdles, the decks have been cleared for erecting perhaps the State’s tallest road bridge linking two hills in Pullur-Periye and Bedakam grama panchayats, which will also provide easy access to Bengaluru from the district.

Senior Public Works Department (PWD) officials who visited the site near Periye recently decided to resume work on the 130-metre-long Ayamkadavu bridge across Chandragiri River.

The nearly 25-metre-tall bridge is expected to be completed by March next, PWD Chief Engineer (Roads and Bridges) M.N. Jeevaraj told media on Aug 25, Friday. The officials have decided to resume the work after carrying out detailed site inspection as suggested by IIT expert Aravindakshan, who is credited with designing the structure.

The team has evolved strategies to allay apprehension of the workers, most of whom hail from other States, and will make minor alterations by slightly increasing the length of the bridge.

The 10-metre-wide bridge, executed by a local PWD contractor at an estimated Rs. 14 crore outlay, will have four spans with 30 metre space. The task before the executors is to lay 25-metre-tall welded grid posts to be positioned from the riverbed to

facilitate laying of 130-metre-long concrete slab sans joints, PWD Executive Engineer B. Riyad said.

Insurance coverage will be ensured for the migrant labourers and they will be provided helmets to allay their apprehension over the risk involved in crafting the concrete slab from 25-metre height, the official said.

The bridge is expected to provide smooth ride for vehicular operators as the structure does not has a single joint, said K. Kunhiraman, MLA.

The project also involves reconstruction of the nearby Periye-Ayampara road and the 2.5-km-long road linking Kolathur along the 45-km-long Poinachi-Bandadukka road from where one can reach Bengaluru via Karnataka’s Sullia town of DK.