Varthur bridge shakes severely; heavy vehicles barred

The Varthur bridge has been shaking severely for the past few days, forcing the authorities to ban the movement of heavy vehicles on the overpass.

Residents and the citizens’ group, Whitefield Rising, petitioned to the civic agency that the bridge has been wobbling conspicuously for the past few days. They cited heavy traffic as one of the reasons for the bridge’s unsteadiness.

Mahadevapura MLA Aravind Limbavali inspected the bridge with a group of BBMP engineers on Tuesday.

“It has been shaking in the last few days, especially when there’s heavy traffic,” said a member of Whitefield Rising. “It should be repaired before the rain arrives. The BBMP should put together an expert team to ascertain the damage. It should also reconsider the inspection methods.”

The civic group member pointed out that the bridge was subjected to a comprehensive test in 2015 and was certified as safe. A BBMP engineer said a detailed report on the bridge’s condition would be prepared and heavy vehicles have been barred until then. “There’s an issue with the bridge’s bearings. We’ll prepare the report and solve the issue soon,” he added. Limbavali said in a Facebook post that a senior engineer would be asked to examine the bridge’s condition and submit a detailed report. “Necessary action will be taken and safety measures are contemplated in the best interest of the general public. I will assure that prompt action will be taken in consultation with the engineers,” he said.

He further said in the post that heavy vehicles are not allowed to use the Varthur bridge till the renovation work is completed, the dilapidated structure restored, safety checked and audits held by concerned agencies. “In view of the bad condition of the road, we’ve informed the concerned engineer to do asphalting immediately,” Limbavali said.