After missing multiple deadlines over the past three years, the National Highways Authority of India has said it is hopeful of completing the new six-lane bridge at Kuloor before the onset of the 2026 monsoon. The bridge is being constructed across the Phalguni (Gurupura) river on the Kanniyakumari–Panvel stretch of National Highway 66 as part of the widening of the B.C. Road–Surathkal Port Connectivity Road into six lanes. The project was awarded to Pune-based Shinde Developers Pvt. Ltd. at a cost of Rs 560 million, with construction commencing on 12 April 2021. Although the bridge was originally scheduled for completion by October 2022, the project has faced delays of over three years. The existing Kuloor Bridge, commissioned in 1952 by the former State of Madras, is in a near-dilapidated condition. NHAI had recommended its closure to traffic as early as 2019. However, due to the absence of an alternative crossing and delays in the new bridge’s completion, the old bow-string bridge continues to carry traffic from Udupi towards Mangaluru, raising safety concerns. According to NHAI Mangaluru Project Director Abudlla Javed Azmi, pier caps for all but one pier have been completed, with the remaining cap expected to be finished shortly. Girders are currently being cast at the contractor’s facility in Panambur, with around 60 girders ready for launching. Azmi said the authority is optimistic about commissioning the bridge before the 2026 monsoon. The new structure will have a total width of 42 metres, including service roads on both sides and two main carriageways, each comprising two lanes of 7 metres. Pedestrian pathways will also be provided along the service roads. Once the new six-lane bridge becomes operational, NHAI plans to close the old Kuloor Bridge to vehicular traffic. Utility lines, including water and power infrastructure currently running over the existing bridge, will be shifted to the closed structure.