The Hindu : Traffic along Killipalam restored

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Traffic along Killipalam restored

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM FEB. 10. Traffic along the Killipalam bridge on the NH 47, which was suspended partially after one of the pillars supporting a six-inch drinking water pipe of the Kerala Water Authority passing under the bridge collapsed on Friday, has been fully restored.

The bridge has been thrown open for heavy vehicles after the PWD(NH) authorities took steps to prevent any further caving-in of the approach road. Sandbags have been placed at the approach road on the Chalai side where a chunk of loose earth caved in during the heavy downpour on Friday night.

A PWD(NH) official said the bridge was "safe and fit'' for the movement of all classes of vehicles.

The structure of the bridge had not been affected in any way as a result of the collapse of the pillar supporting the KWA pipe or due to the caving-in of the loose earth of the approach road, he said.

Sandbags have been placed in the spot where the pillar collapsed and on the approach side at the Chalai end in view of the ongoing work on the new bridge parallel to the existing one.

The authorities have allowed two-wheelers to move through the bridge from Friday afternoon itself.

New bridge by year-end

The work on the new two-lane bridge and approach roads being built by the PWD (NH) at Killipalam is to be completed by the year-end. The land belonging to the nearby Government school on the Chalai side has been handed over for widening the approach road. The relocation of the school shed would be taken up by the authorities only after the school closes for the summer vacation.

Only after the school sheds are relocated, the approach road formation would be taken up.

The existing bridge would be demolished once the new bridge is commissioned and another two-lane bridge would be built. The bridge and the approach road are being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 4 crores.

The work on the new Rs. 4-crore Karamana bridge is in full swing and the construction of the well foundation is almost over. The authorities plan to complete the construction in a year's time.

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