Tamil Nadu   

Heavy vehicular traffic to be suspended on Periyar bridge

KULITHALAI: Heavy vehicular traffic on the Periyar Bridge across the Cauvery connecting Kulithalai in Karur district and Musiri in Tiruchi district will be suspended for carrying out major repair works on the bridge. Heavy vehicles will not be allowed on the bridge between August 31 and October 31, Divisional Engineer, Highways, S.P. Palanivel has said.

The first phase of the major repair works, including replacement of rubber bearings, was carried out on the bridge between June 15 and July 20 with traffic remaining partially suspended. During that time, over 350 rubber bearings on the 35 piers were replaced.

During the current and second phase, work would be affected if vehicular traffic was allowed. The second phase would see the complete removal of wearing coat to the whole length of the about 1,500-metre bridge and laying a new wearing coat would entail complete suspension of vehicular traffic. If traffic were to be allowed on one stretch, the work would be affected due to the vibrations. Also, it would not be possible to lay alternative route for the whole length of the river, Mr. Palanivel said.

Considering the difficulties and inconvenience the public would be put to due to suspension of traffic on the bridge for two months, Mr. Palanivel said two-wheelers and passenger autos only would be allowed to cross the river. Adequate sign board and caution boards had been put up to inform drivers of heavy vehicles and the public of the development, he said and urged the travelling public to cooperate with the department in ensuring that the repair works were carried out in the shortest time possible.

Meanwhile, locals urged the Highways Department as also the Tiruchi and Karur district administrations to ensure that sign and caution boards were displayed prominently in the two districts to ensure that non-regular, occasional travellers and tourists did not get caught off guard while trying to cross the bridge.

They said while the Cauvery’s left bank served as the main highway for Salem and Bangalore bound traffic, the right bank catered to Coimbatore and Kerala bound travellers.

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