35k people visited floating bridge at Kuzhuppilly in over two months

Kochi: The floating bridge at Kuzhuppilly beach in the district, which was opened by tourism minister P A Mohamed Riyas two-and-a-half months ago, has become a hit among local visitors.
According to tourism department authorities, so far, a total of 35,000 tourists visited the first floating bridge in the district and a total of Rs 42 lakh was collected as ticket revenue.
The floating bridge was established by Ernakulam District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) in collaboration with the State Tourism Department, Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society and Kuzhuppilly grama panchayat. Total cost of the bridge project was Rs 1.3 crore.
The 100m long and 3m wide bridge has been constructed using high quality polyethylene blocks.
The main attraction of the floating bridge is that visitors can walk along with the waves. The entry fee is Rs 120 per person. The bridge can accommodate up to 50 people at a time. Only those wearing life jackets are allowed on the bridge with safety belts on both sides.
Children under five are not admitted on the bridge. According to authorities services of trained lifeguards are ensured for the safety of tourists.
There were reports that the floating bridge at Chavakkad beach in Thrissur collapsed due to strong waves two months ago. But later the tourism minister came up with a clarification that the bridge was not collapsed, but it was removed by the operators themselves to avoid accidents.
DTPC secretary Satheesh Miranda had also clarified that authorities carry out routine inspections to ensure safety of tourists on the beach.