A major relief for commuters, the first bridge along the 26-km Edappally-Moothakunnam stretch of NH 66, the new Varappuzha bridge, will open to traffic in the first week of December.

Spanning 1.03 km, the bridge was built in just 604 days at a cost of Rs 100 crore by Oriental Structural Engineers. It incorporates modern safety features, including eight remotely-controlled PTZ cameras for surveillance. The bridge was designed using the balanced cantilever method due to its location over the Periyar River, requiring clearance for vessels. "The final approach work is progressing and will be opened to traffic from the first week of December," said a senior NHAI official.

The bridge features 26 spans, with the river portion including 83-mtrs. and 120-mtrs. spans, facilitating navigational traffic below. This marks a significant step toward easing the severe congestion on the stretch.