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This footbridge lasted 24 hours

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE Nov. 25. A footbridge near Sujatha theatre, built by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) over a drain on Link Road at the Rajajinagar Entrance, collapsed, reportedly a few hours after its inauguration.

According to residents of the area, the metal bridge was opened on Saturday morning. It had been placed on two retaining walls. At around 10 p.m., one of the walls caved in and the bridge came crashing down, a shopkeeper in the area said.

The footbridge was constructed for the safety of pedestrians in view of the traffic congestion on the main bridge over the drain.

Congestion has worsened following the commencement of a Rs. 11.84-crore underpass project nearby. A portion of the main bridge has been blocked for both traffic and pedestrians.

Now, after the collapse of the footbridge, pedestrians are once again forced to walk on the main bridge. Residents of the area said the collapse of the wall showed the incompetence of BMP engineers. "It is shameful that in these times when complex structures are built, the BMP could not construct a strong retaining wall to hold a metal bridge," Ravindranath, an engineer who passes through the area everyday, said. A woman said it was dangerous to use the 10-metre-long main bridge over the drain, and expressed concern for the safety of a large number of children who now used the bridge to reach school.

Sources in the BMP said the bridge was being tested when it collapsed. A crane was placing the bridge on the retaining walls when one of the walls collapsed, according to them. People, who earlier commended the BMP for constructing the footbridge, pointed out that this statement only confirmed that the work done was of poor quality.

Sources said the BMP planned to rebuild the retaining wall and put the bridge in place at the earliest. The design was being improved, they added.

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