PWD to spearhead long-pending Kottayam skywalk project

The Public Works Department (PWD) has offered to take the lead in reviving Kottayam’s long-pending skywalk project, nearly two months after the UDF government decided to revive the proposal.

Inaugurating the second bridge across the Kodoor river at Kodimatha on the Main Central Road here on Tuesday, Public Works Minister P. K. Basheer said the department would prepare the estimate and secure administrative sanction for the project.. Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Kottayam MP, K Francis George also spoke at the function.

The new bridge, built parallel to the old Kodimatha bridge on National Highway 183, is expected to ease traffic congestion in the area. The 128-metre-long and 12-metre-wide bridge was constructed at a cost of ₹15.49 crore. It has approach roads extending 237.2 metres on either side and a 65-metre-long service road. Road safety features have also been installed.

With the new bridge opening to traffic, the National Highways Authority will take up the renovation of the approach road to the old bridge. As the approach road has developed a depression, the authorities will first remove the soil and inspect the underlying structure before undertaking reinforcement work. A traffic signal will also be installed at the junction near the new bridge, while the police will regulate traffic until it becomes operational.

The opening of both bridges will eventually pave the way for introducing a one-way traffic system for vehicles entering and leaving the city.

The narrow old Kodimatha bridge had long been a major bottleneck on the key road connecting Kottayam with the southern districts. The new bridge is expected to ensure smoother passage through the town, particularly for emergency patients travelling from the southern districts to Kottayam Medical College Hospital and other hospitals.