The Varapuzha bridge on NH 17 is a cantilever bridge

Cantilever bridge

A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...

 spanning the Periyar river

Periyar River

Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...

 between Varapuzha

Varappuzha

Varappuzha is a Northern Suburb of Cochin city. It is a census town in Paravur taluk, Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. The nearest town is North Paravur 8 km away. The village is situated in the NH 17 connecting Edapally with North Paravur...

 and Cheranallur

Cheranallur

Cheranallur or Cheranellore or Cheranelloor is a northern suburb of Cochin city in the state of Kerala, India and lies on the banks of the Periyar River. According to tradition, the area was named by its earlier inhabitants who found this place very fertile and beautiful...

. Varapuzha Bridge is the first bridge in Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 to be constructed using Balanced Cantilever technique(120m span) and also the first bridge in Kerala where Caisson

Caisson (engineering)

In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...

floating technique was adopted. The construction of the bridge won the National award for the Most Outstanding Bridge(1999) of Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers On 16 January 2001, Varapuzha Bridge was opened to traffic.