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-   -   Experience with a Scenic but Scary Bridge (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/83276-experience-scenic-but-scary-bridge.html)

It was just another routine trip to Kerala. But a bridge made it memorable!

My aversion to crowded roads made me to explore other options to reach my home town Kothamangalam, which is around 40 kms from Cochin. My friend bijuks suggested the Theni - Body route as an alternative and I liked that route very much because it is scenic and from Theni it is almost empty.

I started travelling through this route regularly for almost an year now. So it has become a routine and I hardly spent time en-route as usually I will be on a tight schedule

But this time, a small bridge changed all that and I felt like writing about it here.

So, I took a break at Rajakkad and visited one of my relative working in a Cardamom estate there. It was a nice experience as I haven't been to one till then. After spending a few hours there, I started to Adimali via Vellathooval and Kallarkutty. To avoid some narrow stretches on the way, I took a detour from the main road. In fact my GPS also showed this alternate route. So confident, I just proceeded. The road appeared to be sparingly used. I didnt bother and just continued. After a few kms, I reached this bridge.



I was not fully sure of crossing this bridge in a 2+ ton vehicle. So I just decided to go back. at that instant an auto came from the other side through the bridge. I asked the auto driver, " Will my car manage it" He said yes and also that vehicles pass through it regularly. Hmm, I got the confidence and just started crossing it. half way through, i notices some sounds coming from underneath, like something is breaking... Ok, nothing much to do, so just continued. Then i noticed the resonance... The bridge started swinging up and down. Ok thats not good. The stories that soldiers never march over a handing bridge flashed in my mind. Quick remedy, vary the speed. Thus finally I crossed the bridge and came back to life.

Stopping the car on the other side, i came out to inspect the bridge. I was so damn scared to even walk over that due to this



The wooden planks on the bridge were so pathetic and some gaps are half a feet wide. Also the planks are in such a pathetic condition that it can break at any time. The sound i heard was them breaking while I was crossing it.

Then I noticed these bolts that were holding the planks earlier



I have become curious to know what would have happened in case I broke the bridge and fell down. So I went underneath and it was even more scary



The bridge was so high and there was no water beneath

While I was clicking the snaps, saw a local joker crossing the bridge. I was lucky that he didn't just follow me while I was on the bridge.



Another snap showing the sorry state of one of the pillars



A distant view



Finally my beast posing for a snap. I was not willing to take her on the bridge a second time

wow! can you put this on to a google map or some pointers to reach this bridge?

B-E-A-Utiful! Man. Amazing stuff. Hope some authorities do something to restore the bridge to original glory.

If anyone had seen you crossing that ramshackle bridge in your 2+ tonne behemoth, they would have known who the joker is.

Sorry, no offence. But from the way the Jeep's wheels are on the bridge (on the solid pieces of wood), he looks more like someone who knows what the bridge can take, unlike you. Especially because his vehicle weighs around 1tonne less than yours - if you made it across, it is a walk in the park for him.

I agree. You should have done the recee first rather than the other way around.

:uncontrol sb cut him slack man. I agree if it was me I would done a recce first and then decided if it was wise to cross. Well you cant blame him too coz the auto driver gave him the thumbs up.

So manoj any idea about the history of that bridge,looks easily a few decades old.

I won't walk on that bridge, forget driving through it, scary as hell.

@Manoj - Man, you'd the nerve to ride through the bridge on your Safari, I'm dumb folded; anyway, past is gone, you'd the thrill, enjoyed the opportunity. Glad you were safe & no rains.

Could you explain this? I couldn't understand this point.

I was never good at school. But if I remember correctly it is a vibration caused by an external force that is in harmony with the natural vibration of the original object.

When an army marches across a bridge, the soldiers are told to "break step." This is to avoid the possibility that their rhythmic marching will start resonating throughout the bridge. A large enough Army which is marching in sync can bring down a bridge, if the vibration created by their steps comes in harmony with the natural vibration of the bridge.

@ Manoj: That was one brave and gutsy move. clap:

That bridge badly needs atleast one thing : A warning board. Hope somebody puts one up.

Satguide does show a route that by-passes Munnar while coming from Adimali and will you take you to Bodi (via Rajakkad).
I guess this is the route you wanted to try.

This is not the Rajakkad-Adimali road? There is an alternative road too? How much distance from Rajakkad to Adimali and what are the coordiantes?

I think you are referring to resonant frequency.

This bridge reminds of a scene from movie Phantom.

Just an addition to above. Any object can vibrate in its SET of natural frequencies. What concerns, is the resonant frequency. At this frequency the amplitude or the vibration of the bridge will be at its maximum. This resonant frequency can be caused even by small BUT regular forces.

Nice!!
Initially I was thinking probably you were walking on the narrow bridge.
But the last pic of the Safari on the bridge was indeed scary .