Perumbalam islanders', 50-year-old wait for bridge to end in April

THE HALF-A-CENTURY-OLD dream of more than 15,000 people of Perumbalam Island, the lone island panchayat in the state, is set to be realised soon.

- BIJU E PAUL @Alappuzha

The ₹100-crore bridge over Vembanad lake, connecting their island and Arookutty is nearing completion.

Initiated in 2019, the bridge is expected to be thrown open to the public by April, marking a significant milestone for the residents of Perumbalam Island.

Designed as a bowstring arch with 31 pillars, the bridge is 1.115 km long and 11 m wide, and has a 7.5-m-wide carriageway, said Aroor MLA Daleema. "It also has footpaths on both sides, each 1.5m wide, which had been a demand of the panchayat residents. The bridge will provide islanders easy access to the Cherthala-Arookutty road and the NH66 in Aroor," she said.