DAMAGE: Experts from a private consultant firm examining the damaged passageway of the Kattisangavi Bridge across the Bhima on the outskirts of Jewargi town in Gulbarga district on Thursday.

GULBARGA: An expert team from the private consultancy Torsteel Research Foundation headed by A. Nagendra, adviser (bridges), deputed by the State Government to study the safety of the Kattisangavi Bridge across the Bhima which links Gulbarga and Bangalore and other cities, on Thursday said the entire top coat of the passageway of the bridge had to be replaced and the approach roads at both ends of the bridge had to be re-laid with drainage facilities to ensure the safety of the bridge.

The team was deputed to inspect the bridge by Minister for Public Works H.D. Revanna at the request of former Chief Minister and Opposition Leader in the State Assembly N. Dharam Singh who inspected the damage caused to the bridge when the Bhima flooded recently.

Mr. Nagendra accompanied by technical experts including senior engineer Mohankumar, superintendent engineer of PWD Chandramouli Naik, executive engineer Anantram, assistant executive engineer Kaligi and others conducted a study of the damaged portion of the approach roads, which had developed cracks, before arriving at a decision to recommend to the State Government steps to save the bridge.

Mr. Nagendra told presspersons that there was no immediate danger to the safety of the bridge and the main structure of the 52-year-old bridge had not suffered serious damage in the floods, except for bulging in the retaining walls on both sides of the bridge.

Mr. Nagendra said usually the top portion in box type submersible bridges was replaced every 20 years, but in the case of the Kattisangavi Bridge this had not been replaced for the past 52 years. Referring to the cracks in the approach road on either side of the bridge, he said this was caused by the seepage of water from the floods.

Repair work on the retaining walls on both sides of the bridge should be taken up simultaneously with the replacement of the approach roads, he added.

Officials of the PWD said Rs. 15 lakh would be required to replace the approach roads of the bridges according to the changes recommended by the team. Mr. Nagendra said that on his return to Bangalore on Friday he would submit a report on the condition of the bridge and the steps required to save it. Later, an estimate of the repair work would be submitted to the Government, he added.

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