The Karnataka government has provided the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the construction of the Bairakuppa Bridge, a long-delayed interstate project across the Kabani river, connecting Perikkalloor in Pulpally in Wayanad with Bairakuppa in Kodagu, Karnataka.
According to Public Works Minister P.K. Basheer, the approval was given for the project on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) following a discussion led by Mr. Basheer with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar earlier. During the discussions in Bengaluru, the Karnataka Chief Minister had said that the matters related to the construction of the bridge would be placed in the Cabinet meeting soon and instructions would be given for the same.
This interstate bridge between Kerala and Karnataka will connect Perikallur and Byrakuppa in Kodagu, Karnataka. The foundation stone for this bridge was laid 36 years ago and the Union Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, approved the proposal in principle on March 15, 2002.
Approach road
The approach road on the Kerala side has been completed, while the completion of the overall project depends on the construction of the adjoining road in Karnataka, said Mr. Basheer. The Works Minister had earlier written to the Karnataka government to expedite the land acquisition and the necessary environmental clearances for the construction of the approach road on the Karnataka side.
The bridge will be a permanent solution to the travel issues of the people on both States. The bridge will become an alternative route connecting Pulpally, Sultan Bathery, Kalpetta and Kozhikode directly to Mysore and Bengaluru. This will also help in overcoming the current night travel restrictions on National Highway-766 through the Bandipur forest area and significantly improve traffic, said the Minister.
The travel distance between Bengaluru and Sultan Bathery will also be reduced by 40 km. This will significantly reduce travel time. The Minister also informed that a team of officials led by Additional Secretary of Public Works Vinod V.R. had also held discussions regarding the project.
Published - August 06, 2026 07:38 pm IST