The long-standing demand for a new bridge at Chatham Causeway has gained fresh urgency after Andaman & Nicobar Islands Member of Parliament Bishnu Pada Ray appealed to the Centre for immediate intervention. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, along with the Lt. Governor and Chief Secretary of the Union Territory, Ray sought sanction of funds and early commencement of construction for an additional bridge.
The Chatham Causeway, built in 1970 by the Andaman Lakshadweep Harbour Works (ALHW), is the sole road link connecting Sri Vijaya Puram’s Sri Vijayapuram region with Chatham Island. The island hosts vital establishments such as the Government Saw Mill and Power House, which together employ over a thousand workers. The causeway also enables the transportation of fuel, machinery, raw materials, and essentials while serving as a lifeline for thousands of commuters, including government employees, students, traders, and patients.
Ray highlighted that the condition of the causeway has deteriorated drastically over the past decade despite multiple representations. Though the Ministry of Shipping in 2016 instructed the UT Administration to take remedial measures, no concrete action was initiated. Earlier this year, in June 2025, IIT Madras conducted a structural inspection at the request of the UT Administration. Their report declared the bridge damaged beyond repair and unfit for retrofitting, recommending the construction of a new bridge. Consequently, vehicular movement across the causeway has been suspended since June, restricting traffic to pedestrians and two-wheelers only to prevent a potential collapse.
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has been tasked with preparing a feasibility study and a detailed project report (DPR). However, Ray expressed concern that the lengthy process and delay in sanctioning funds could endanger mobility, livelihoods, and public safety in the region.
“Senior citizens, Divyangjans, children, patients, and daily commuters are being forced to walk nearly a kilometre between Chatham Jetty and the PS Chatham Check-post at Haddo, often carrying luggage and essential goods,” Ray noted in his communication. Before restrictions, all categories of vehicles, buses, autos, cars, and trucks, were able to access the jetty, but the absence of alternative arrangements has left commuters in severe hardship.
To address the crisis, the MP urged the Centre to instruct NHIDCL to complete its feasibility study and DPR within strict timelines, earmark and sanction the required funds immediately, and treat the project as a case of public urgency. He also pressed for the UT Administration to arrange lightweight battery-operated transport facilities for commuters between Chatham Jetty and Haddo’s PS Chatham Check-post until a temporary bridge, as suggested by IIT Madras, or the permanent bridge becomes operational.
Calling the issue both humanitarian and strategically significant, Ray appealed for the personal intervention of the Prime Minister and concerned ministries. He emphasised that the timely sanction and construction of the additional bridge is crucial to safeguard public safety, restore smooth connectivity, and relieve the hardships faced by islanders who depend daily on the causeway.
