The 64-year-old Cherai Bridge in Kerala’s Ernakulam district is showing extensive signs of deterioration, prompting local residents to demand an urgent structural safety inspection by the Public Works Department. The bridge connects Vypin island with the Munambam side and carries thousands of vehicles, including heavy containers and other large vehicles, every day.
Concrete has broken away from several sections of the bridge, while the condition of its underside beams and girders has raised concerns about the structure’s ability to withstand continued ageing and inadequate maintenance. The bridge is located at a key entrance to Cherai, one of the area’s major tourist destinations, and is used by residents, visitors and commercial traffic travelling in both directions.
The bridge is supported by 64 pillars installed in the Veeranpuzha. According to the report, concrete layers have broken off from many of the pillars, exposing reinforcement bars. Trees, grass and other vegetation have also grown in several parts of the bridge. Local concerns centre on the possibility that vegetation and moisture could contribute to cracks in the beams and girders if left unaddressed.
The recent movement of heavy containers and other large vehicles has added to concerns about the bridge’s deteriorating condition. The structure also carries drinking-water pipes and several cable networks along beams parallel to the bridge. Any repair or reconstruction work would therefore have to account for these essential utility connections.
The Cherai Bridge has a major place in the transport history of Vypin island, which was once largely isolated from Kerala’s mainland. The demand for a bridge connecting Vypin with the outside world began emerging in the late 1940s. Construction was completed on 29 September 1960, according to the plaque on the bridge. After the approach roads were completed, the 330-foot-long and 22-foot-wide bridge was opened to the public on Republic Day, 26 January 1961, by then Kerala Chief Minister Pattom A. Thanu Pillai.
The approach roads on both sides of the bridge are also reported to be in poor condition. Their retaining walls have collapsed in places, while stacked stones have loosened and soil erosion has taken place. Repeated erosion along the edges of the approach roads has raised concerns that the retaining walls could fail further, affecting the roads below on both sides.
Residents have asked the Public Works Department to intervene quickly and assess the bridge’s strength and safety. The immediate concerns identified in the report include deteriorating concrete, exposed reinforcement bars, vegetation growth, erosion along the approach roads, heavy-vehicle movement and the continued presence of utility networks attached to the structure.
