The Old Marthanda Varma Bridge in Aluva will reopen to traffic at 6am on Thursday after the National Highways Authority of India completed maintenance and structural repair work two days ahead of schedule, offering an additional crossing for traffic using the congested NH 544 corridor.
Aluva MLA Anwar Sadath said the repair work had been completed and that the bridge would be opened for vehicles from 6am. The reopening follows an eight-day maintenance operation, shorter than the 10-day period initially planned during an NHAI meeting.
The bridge was closed while engineering crews carried out repairs intended to restore its safety and extend its operational life. The structure, built in the 1940s, had developed signs of structural wear and fatigue after decades of use and exposure to heavy traffic.
The maintenance package included repairs to four expansion joints, micro-concreting work and restoration of shock absorbers beneath the bridge. These components are important to the bridge’s ability to manage movement, vibration and the stresses generated by traffic and changing temperatures.
The old bridge’s reopening is expected to ease congestion along NH 544 by restoring a route that had been unavailable during the maintenance period. NH 544 is a major road corridor through the Kochi region, and disruptions around Aluva can affect daily commuters, commercial vehicles and other traffic moving through the area.
The early completion also limits the duration of traffic management measures required during the closure. However, the information supplied does not specify whether any restrictions, vehicle-specific controls or monitoring arrangements will remain after the bridge reopens.
The repairs highlight the operational challenge of maintaining older bridges that continue to carry traffic after several decades of service. In this case, NHAI’s work was focused on specific structural components rather than a full reconstruction, with the stated objective of addressing wear and extending the bridge’s lifespan.
The bridge is scheduled to return to service at 6am Thursday, after which traffic will be able to use the crossing again alongside the wider NH 544 network.
