PWD faces flak for shoddy condition of key bridges in Kochi

The NH wing of the Public Works department (PWD) is facing flak for the deplorable condition of the 2-km-long Kundannoor-Thevara bridge and the bridge next to S.N. Junction at Thripunithura.

Enraged at the deteriorating plight of the S.N. Junction bridge and seeking the PWD’s attention, the Thripunithura regional unit of the Ernakulam District Residents Association Apex Council (EDRAAC) organised a dharna near the bridge recently. The protesters denounced the alleged apathy on the part of PWD officials in executing repair work on the bridge.

“There are gaping potholes and also glaring level difference, especially over expansion joints of the bridge. It is causing accidents, especially involving two-wheelers. This is in addition to the massive traffic hold-ups on either side of the bridge due to the shoddy condition of the structure that is hardly two decades old,” said Ajithkumar P.C., general secretary of EDRAAC and a regular user of the bridge.

He wondered why neither the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) that built the bridge nor the PWD that maintained it had constructed a footpath on the bridge, citing how pedestrians, especially aged and differently abled people, had a harrowing time climbing the steep stairs at the central portion of the bridge.

Motorists and residents of the area have been demanding the addition of a pair of lanes to the two-lane bridge, citing the worsening traffic hold-ups ever since the road up to the bridge from Pettah was widened as a four-lane as part of the Kochi metro’s Thripunithura extension. The location of the S.N. Junction metro station, which also has a huge commercial space, in the vicinity of the bridge, is yet another reason for their demand to widen the bridge.

The protest saw speakers narrate the ordeal that commuters to Infopark, Kakkanad, refinery, and other industrial units in Ambalamugal faced during their daily commute through the bridge. They also demanded that the PWD proactively repair potholes on the Kundannoor-Thevara bridge since they were getting bigger during rains, causing accidents and traffic snarls. A 21-year-old bike rider died a few months ago in an accident caused by potholes on the structure that provided a crucial link between West Kochi, Willingdon Island, and the city. The Harbour Bridge is yet another pothole-ridden structure of the PWD that motorists fear to use.

Bridge to be closed

The Kundannoor-Thevara bridge on NH 966 will be out of bounds for vehicles for two days from (July 9) Tuesday midnight for repair works on the severely potholed 2-km structure. Vehicles will be permitted through the bridge from Friday morning.

This was decided on (July 6) Saturday at a meeting called at the office of Ernakulam Assistant Commissioner of Police P. Rajkumar. The meeting was attended by Maradu municipal chairman Antony Asanparambil and officials of the PWD (NH wing), according to a release.