Karur: Days after a video of villagers and school students urging Chief Minister Vijay to help complete a long-pending bridge project connecting Koyampalli and Melapalayam villages on opposite banks of the Amaravati river went viral on social media, Karur district collector C Muthukumaran on Friday inspected the land acquisition process for the construction of approach roads to the bridge.
Inspection Follows Chief Engineer's Visit
The inspection comes after a visit by state highways chief engineer Jawahar Muthuraj, who reviewed the stalled project earlier this week and assured residents that the remaining work would be completed within a year.
Project History and Stagnation
The bridge work was taken up by the state highways department in 2017 to address the long-standing connectivity issues faced by residents. While the structure was nearly completed, the project came to a standstill before the construction of approach roads, rendering the bridge unusable.
As a result, villagers, including farmers, students and daily wage workers, have either been forced to wade through the river during lean flow periods or take a detour of nearly 15 kilometers to reach the other side. The issue recently gained attention after a video featuring villagers and school students appealing for the bridge's completion went viral online.
Timeline for Completion
According to officials, the remaining works involve land acquisition and the construction of approach roads on both sides of the bridge. Officials said the land acquisition process is expected to be completed within five months, after which the remaining construction work could take another five to six months.
