Aluva: Commuters in Aluva faced long delays on Wednesday after the 86-year-old Marthanda Varma Old Bridge was closed for repairs, leaving traffic on the National Highway and nearby roads crawling for hours. The closure began at 9 am, during the morning rush, and led to queues stretching for several kilometres.

Traffic was diverted through the Marthanda Varma New Bridge, where vehicles had to move in both directions. The resulting congestion continued until around 11.30 am and eased by noon. The evening rush brought another slowdown from around 6 pm, with traffic returning to normal only after 9 pm.

The bridge was reportedly scheduled to close early Wednesday morning. However, the closure at 9 am coincided with peak traffic hours. Alleged coordination gaps between the city and rural police also came under criticism as vehicles piled up on roads leading to Aluva.

Why did traffic get so bad?

Heavy vehicles coming from the Ernakulam side were supposed to be diverted at Kalamassery. However, the arrangements to redirect them were reportedly not in place, leading to long queues of vehicles trying to enter Aluva.

To manage traffic from the Angamaly side, heavy vehicles were diverted via MC Road. This helped avoid additional congestion from heavy vehicles travelling from Thrissur.

Private buses from Angamaly also took an alternative route during peak hours. They travelled from Desom towards Kalady, crossed the Mahilalayam Bridge and joined the Aluva–Perumbavoor state highway before entering the town.

Traffic may ease on Thursday, the second day of the repair work, as more commuters are expected to switch to alternative routes.

IT employees shift to work from home

Work-from-home arrangements for employees travelling from Aluva to the Kakkanad IT hub helped reduce the number of vehicles on the road to some extent.

Other establishments are also considering similar measures until the bridge repairs are completed. Commuters may therefore see further changes in traffic patterns over the coming days.

What repairs are being carried out?

The work involves installing expansion joints between the bridge girders. These joints will be welded into place and secured with concrete to reduce movement and vibration between the girders as vehicles pass over the bridge.

The repair work was expedited following an IIT Madras report recommending that the bridge be repaired as soon as possible.

The work on the Marthanda Varma Bridge is expected to take seven days. Repairs to the nearby Desom Bridge will begin only after this work is completed, to avoid simultaneous closures worsening traffic congestion.

The 86-year-old bridge is undergoing repairs to its girders for the first time.