Karnataka - Hubli   

Bridges in Hubli in dire need of repair

Girish Pattanashetti

Movement of heavy vehicles worsens situation

HUBLI: Three bridges built over 70 years ago are in a dilapidated state and have developed cracks. While the parapet on one bridge has partially collapsed, the steel used for the others has started to rust.

What compounds the fact is that these bridges are part of State Highway No. 28 (Hubli-Sollapur road), which is known for high vehicular movement. Every day, hundreds of vehicles use the highway and these bridges, which are part of the stretch, are in a poor state.

These bridges are situated near the 87.10 km, 89 km and 93.4 km milestones and were built across three streams in Hubli taluk.

With many vehicles passing over the bridges over the past seven decades the bridges have become weak and are not in a position to handle the traffic anymore.

Order defied

One bridge has become so weak that whenever a heavy vehicle passes over it, one can feel the bridge shake. Although the Regional Transport Officer issued an order prohibiting movement of heavy vehicles on the bridges in April, heavy vehicles still ply on the road taking the Annigeri-Hebasur-Byahatti route.

As a consequence, the bridges may collapse any moment, particularly owing to the increase in the movement of manganese ore-laden trucks on the route.

Though the engineers in charge of maintaining the bridges have taken some steps to repair them, they cannot guarantee how long the bridges will last.

A proposal to demolish the bridges and construct new ones was submitted to the Karnataka State Road Development Corporation. But though the proposal has been approved in principle, no step has been taken to start the work.

Also, what is surprising is that while it has been approved to demolish two bridges and construct new ones in their place, nothing has been said about the third bridge, which is equally in a poor state.

As all the three bridges form part of the State highway, traffic is likely to be hit even if one of them collapses.

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