The frequent development of potholes and undulations on the Old Harbour Bridge that holds heritage value and links Kochi with West Kochi have left commuters fuming.
They expressed dismay at the unique bridge that was built by the British in 1937 and whose central spans could be raised back then for ships to access the Kochi harbour was often in the news for the wrong reasons — be it shoddy upkeep of the carriageway or rusting of the galvanised iron (GI) struts beneath the structure going unnoticed till 2023.
The approximately 500-metre-long bridge that is also referred to as Thopumpady or Mattancherry Bridge was handed over by the Cochin Port Authority to the PWD (Bridges wing). Potholes have developed near its central spans and at a few other areas, while fear is rife that the GI struts would have suffered more damage than when their plight was detected in August 2023.
Haris Aboo, a social activist from West Kochi, spoke of how commuters through the bridge had been having a harrowing time since repair and resurfacing works done by the PWD were giving away, although entry is restricted to two-, three- and four-wheelers. “The gaping potholes and undulations have developed atop the central spans, although the bridge was resurfaced just about a year ago. Even worse, work on the bridge’s approach portions and footpaths is nearing completion. Care ought to have been taken to carry out preventive maintenance of the bridge carriageway as well.”
The frequent damage to the bridge surface could have been prevented had the PWD replaced the damaged ‘thambakam’ wood panels of the central span. Instead, it was given a bituminous coating, citing non-availability of the wood. This in turn has led to the bituminous surface giving away due to vibration when vehicles passed atop it. The least that the PWD could have done is to go the extra mile to source the wood and replace the damaged wood panels. This would have helped restore the landmark bridge in its original form, instead of black-topping the entire surface. After all, it had served as the gateway to Kochi for around 70 years, till the Mattancherry BOT Bridge was built in the early 2000s, he added.
“That two-wheeler riders and others have a perilous ride over the bridge is proof that huge amounts spent by the PWD to maintain the structure during the past years had gone waste,” said Edwin, yet another social worker from West Kochi. This is proof that the PWD ought to have adhered to quality norms for the upkeep of the bridge. Extensive damage had been reported, although monsoons were below normal in 2023. The bridge is also strategically crucial for an emergency evacuation since the two-lane Mattancherry BOT Bridge is almost always congested. The PWD must also widen the access road to the Kannanghat Bridge from the Palluruthy side since West Kochi is densely populated and a bulk of people are employed in the mainland, he added.
Meanwhile, sources in the PWD said they were awaiting technical sanction for a ₹80-lakh project estimate to float tenders to repair the Old Harbour Bridge. “This covers the cost of resurfacing and replacing the rusted GI struts and damaged hand rails. Only 20-mm chipping carpet black-topping is possible since the bridge may not be able to bear the weight of heavy machinery needed for BMBC work. The wood panels were replaced last in 2013,” they added.
They added that the expansion joints of the Venduruthy Bridge that the department had built too had to be replaced since motorists were enduring a bumpy ride.
