Title - Kannara Bridge awaits redemption with student’s help

KOLLAM: Kollam locals are trying to save the 108-year-old 13 Kannara railway bridge through an innovative contest. They have asked engineering students from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to come up with engineering solutions for a new broad gauge path without corroding the beauty of the existing bridge. The railway bridge is the longest of the 15 bridges on the Kollam-Shencottai railway line and is part of celluloid history.Railways has plans to re-plaster bridge as part of its broad gauge conversion work. Kollam residents feel that this move may forever destroy the beauty of the bridge and so they have formed a forum to protect the bridge. The contest is the brainchild of this association to preserve this bridge."There are cash prizes for selected proposals. They will be submitted to railway authorities who can study them. Railways can then implement the best project so that the bridge can be saved," said president of the Kannara Bridge Protection Forum A T Philip, adding that the bridge is fine piece of British engineering that needs to be preserved for future generations."Many engineering students have visited the spot to study the unique techniques used to construct the bridge. Preservation of the bridge would benefit not only to the tourism sector, but help students who want to know more about the engineering aspects that were used a century ago," Philip said.

A railway official of the Madurai division said they will reconstruct the bridge to suit the broad gauge rail network. "We will then remodel the concrete bridge so that it looks exactly like the old bridge. This suggestion has been conveyed to the bridge protection forum," he said.

The forum is organizing an event called 'Family Leaders Meet' near the bridge on November 25 and elected representatives from both states have been invited for the function. Students will be given an opportunity to present their projects from 10am and 4 pm.

"We will also organise a literary competition for school students on the theme 'Save 13 Kannara Bridge'. Moreover, the forum is also preparing a mass petition for saving the bridge that will be submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Indian Railways," said Philip.