New Cauvery Bridge Nears Opening, To Cut Travel Between Karur & Tiruchi

The long-awaited high-level bridge across the Cauvery River linking Nerur in Karur district and Unniyur in Tiruchi district is just a few days away from completion and opening up to public traffic.

For this bridge construction, the State Highways, Projects Wing had provided a sanctioned amount of ₹101.30 crores. In terms of dimension, it measures a total length of 1.1 kilometers, consisting of 26 spans, with the total width being 12.90 meters, which comprises pavements on both sides. Black-topping of the road surface has been completed, while final works on road furniture and lighting are now underway.

Transforming the flow between the two districts, the new access does so. Residents of Unniyur – about 4 km from Kattuputhur – and Nerur – about 11 km from Karur – must travel about 30 km before they cross the river, but with the newly built infrastructure, the distance to cross the river is reduced, providing a direct-faster route.

“This project will drastically reduce travel time between Karur and Tiruchi, and also Karur and Chennai,” said a senior official from the Highways Department. “The finishing touches will be completed in days, after which the bridge shall be opened.”

Not just locals but also pilgrims to the sacred Sri Sadasiva Brahmendral Adhishtanam at Nerur will expect boon access; sometimes, this bridge eases goods movement and cuts down many economic activities in the region due to the improved connectivity, enhancing trade links between Karur’s textile hub and markets in Tiruchi and beyond.

For the residents, crossing the Cauvery has long been a desire because of the inconvenience caused by circuitous traveling: when hitched, it becomes one of the most critical infrastructure spaces for improvement in the area, dovetailing with the improvement of the current road network, which the State is pushing in its developmental missions in transport.

As construction nears its final stages, exuberance on both sides of the river is palpable as the authorities get ready for the ceremonial inauguration-practically promising to bring an end to decades of seeking direct access to the Cauvery between Nerur and Unniyur.