KUCHANUR: The 60-year-old dream of thousands of people residing on both sides of Periyar river was fulfilled, thanks to the construction of a high-level bridge across the river connecting Koozhaiyanur and Kottur in Bodi block.
Earlier, the people of several villages on either side of Periyar river had to travel 24 km to reach the villages on the other side. Farmers too had been struggling to transport their agricultural produces to the wholesale markets in nearby towns.
With the construction of the bridge, the distance they have to cover to reach the other side of the river has come down to just six km. Now, the bridge has been thrown open for public.
In the absence of a bridge in the past, the villagers had been crossing the river through the dry riverbed only during summer. Rain and floods interrupted their movement across the riverbed at least seven times a year. The people had been appealing to officials and politicians to construct a bridge across the river for a long time.
The bridge will directly connect many villages, including Koozhaiyanur, Kottur, Seelayampatti, Veerapandi and Kuchanur. It will also help in the socio-economic development of 37,000 people living in these villages.
Collector N. Venkatachalam, who inspected the bridge on Thursday, said the farmers would now easily transport their agricultural produces to Theni and Chinnamanur markets. With substantial reduction in the distance they had to cover, freight charges too would come down sharply, he added.
Now, Kottur-Koozhaiyanur Road has become the shortest route to reach Saneeswarar Temple at Kuchanur. Pilgrims from Kerala too will reach the temple quickly.
The bridge was constructed at a cost of Rs. 5.34 crore under Tamil Nadu Rural Road Development Project, said DRDA Project Director Malathi.
