Aluva’s Marthanda Varma Old Bridge reopened to traffic at 6 am on November 5 after being closed for eight days for repair work, restoring an important road connection in Ernakulam district and easing disruption for daily commuters.
The bridge was shut on October 28 to enable maintenance work, including repairs to its expansion joints. The expansion-joint work was completed by October 30, after which plastering and related work were carried out before the bridge was opened to vehicles.
The closure had affected traffic movement in and around Aluva, where the old bridge serves as a local crossing and road link. The reopening is expected to reduce the travel inconvenience caused by the diversion and the additional pressure placed on surrounding routes during the repair period.
More than 70 police personnel deployed for traffic and security duties during the closure have now been withdrawn, according to the report. The personnel had been assigned from the Armed Reserve camp and the traffic division while the bridge remained closed and traffic arrangements were in place.
The bridge reopening also follows a separate controversy at its approach road. After Union Minister Suresh Gopi visited the bridge and left, slogans opposing the Central government were painted near an area where entry towards the bridge had been prohibited. The slogans were subsequently removed after National Highways Authority of India officials intervened.
The incident led BJP leaders to file a complaint with the police. Although the painted slogans have been erased, the police investigation into who put them up is continuing. The authorities have not announced any further details about the inquiry.
With the bridge now open, traffic personnel deployed during the closure have been released from that duty and regular movement across the crossing has resumed. The police investigation into the slogans remains the next official action linked to the bridge-related controversy.
