A file image of the Bailey bridge in Wayanad being constructed by the Army following the devastating landslides in 2024.
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
The Bailey bridge in Wayanad’s Chooralmala has been closed following cracks in its protective wall, triggered by soil erosion beneath the bridge’s pillars.
Revenue department sources said the cracks were noticed on Thursday (June 26, 2025) after the two-days’ incessant rainfall in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas, which had caused dangerous water-logging and currents in the Punnapuzha river.
Though the water-level considerably decreased, the closure of the bridge disrupted the daily commute of labourers to nearby tea plantations. Revenue department sources said the closure was part of the safety measures adopted in the wake of the heavy rainfall and the continuing vigil around the vulnerable areas.
The 190-foot Bailey bridge was constructed by the Madras Engineering Group of the Indian Army and handed over to the local administration on August 1, 2024 to help connect the worst-affected areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala which were hit by devastating landslides on July 30, 2024.
It was around 9.30 p.m. on July 31 that the construction of the bridge was started. It was completed by 5.30 p.m, with the bridge having a weight-carrying capacity of 24 tonnes.
Published – June 26, 2025 11:46 am IST
