CM’s stamp on Kumari glass bridge indelible: Minister EV Velu

CHENNAI: State Highways Minister EV Velu told the House on Tuesday that the marvellous initiative to build a glass bridge to connect the Tiruvalluvar statue and the Vivekananda Rock Memorial off Kanniyakumari coast was based on a suggestion made by Chief Minister MK Stalin.

Replying to the debate on demands for grants for the Department of Highways and Minor Ports and Public Works in the State assembly, he said that the project was initially approved in 2016 by the Union Tourism Ministry.

“However, the construction faced multiple hurdles as various departments refused to take up the project due to the challenges posed by the sea current, including rough tides and cyclonic conditions. The project was passed from the Tourism Department to the fisheries department and later to the Highways Department in 2020.

Despite the final decision to construct the bridge through the Highways Department, the work remained stalled for long,” EV Velu told the House about the challenging story behind the engineering marvel in Kumari.

Velu recalled that during a high-level review meeting, the Chief Minister questioned officials about the project’s prolonged delay, pointing out that the file had remained inactive for five years. “Following his intervention, multiple review meetings were held, leading to the finalisation of a 77-meter-long and 10-meter-wide glass fiber bridge using 64 megalay cables in a Network Arch Bridge design,” he noted.

Velu said that the project was completed and inaugurated, marking a significant milestone in Kanyakumari’s tourism development and as many as 6.31 lakh tourists visited the glass bridge.