T’puram: Thousands of motorists using the NH 66 bypass in the capital could heave a sigh of relief within the next four months, with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) planning to open the long-awaited Thiruvallam service bridge to traffic. The new bridge is expected to ease congestion, eliminate dangerous wrong-side driving on the existing bridge, reduce accidents and ensure smoother traffic movement along one of the busiest stretches of the national highway.The construction of the service bridge has now crossed the 80% completion mark, with girder launching currently under way, placing the project in its final phase. According to NHAI, the remaining works are expected to be completed within the next four months.The 360-metre-long and 12-metre-wide bridge is being built parallel to the existing Thiruvallam bridge on the eastern side. Once operational, it will exclusively cater to vehicles travelling from Ambalathara towards Thiruvallam and Pachalloor, while the existing bridge will continue to function as the main carriageway of NH 66 bypass. The project also includes 1.5-metre-wide footpaths on both sides to improve pedestrian safety.The process is progressing one girder at a time, making it a time-intensive operation that has contributed to the delay in completing the project.“Girder launching is a highly specialised and time-consuming activity, and each girder has to be positioned individually with utmost precision. Once this phase is completed, the remaining work will progress much faster. We are confident of opening the service bridge for traffic within the next four months, provided there are no unforeseen interruptions,” a senior NHAI official told TOI.The service bridge has been a long-pending demand from residents and regular commuters due to the hazardous traffic situation on the existing bridge. In the absence of a dedicated service bridge, many motorists heading towards Ambalathara often violate the one-way traffic system by using the old bridge in the opposite direction instead of taking a U-turn at Kumarichantha. The practice led to numerous accidents and frequent traffic conflicts over the years. Police records earlier showed that more than 100 accidents were reported on the bridge during a three-year period, prompting NHAI to take up the new bridge project.The project faced several hurdles during its initial stages, including the shifting of underground utility pipelines and other site-related issues. However, construction has gathered pace in recent months, with major civil works nearing completion.Once opened, the bridge is expected to significantly improve traffic flow along the southern entry to Thiruvananthapuram, eliminate dangerous wrong-side driving, reduce accidents, and provide a safer and more efficient road network for commuters using the NH 66 bypass.
