53-year-old Maravoor bridge on NH 67 develops cracks

Police officials inspect the bridge.

District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary accompanied by the PWD officials and MCC Mayor Premananda Shetty visited the Maravoor dam in Mangaluru on Tuesday.

Asection of Athrady National Highway 67, connecting Mangaluru and Mangalore International Airport (MIA), remained out of bounds for vehicles after the 53-year-old Maravoor bridge developed cracks in the wee hours of Tuesday.

Eyewitness told DH that the bridge across Phalguni (Gurupura) river developed cracks after the eight pillar sank. Mangaluru Commissioner of Police N Shashi Kumar said that due to the cracks, the bridge has been declared unsafe and the movement of all vehicles on the bridge was prohibited. Thus, vehicles arriving from Udupi to Mangalore Airport should ply via Mulki-Kinnigoli-Kateel-Bajpe to reach the airport, while those from Mangaluru should use the Nanthoor-Vamanjoor-Gurpura-Bajpe to reach the airport.

District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, accompanied by Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Mayor Premananda Shetty, and PWD officials, inspected the cracks on the bridge. Later, he told media persons that the government had released Rs 50 crore to upgrade the stretch into a four-lane. Thus, the construction of a new bridge next to the existing old bridge had begun. The four-laning project also included carrying out repair works on the existing bridge, he said.

Expert committee to submit a report

PWD officials and a team from Planning and Road Asset Management Centre (PRAMC) had already inspected the old Maravoor bridge. “As the old bridge had to be closed for traffic for over three months it was decided that repair works will be carried out only on completion of new bridge in February 2022,” he said and added that an expert committee will be submitting a report within two days. Based on the committee’s report a decision will be taken on whether to carry out repair works on the old bridge or build a new bridge. Earlier, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Moodbidri-Mulki MLA Umanath Kotian, DK Depeuty Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V, among others, had visited the bridge.

‘Cracks due to sand mining’

Sashidar Shetty of National Environment Care Federation (NECF) blamed sand mining as the main reason behind the sinking of pillar and bridge developing cracks. He recollected that within six months after submitting a 6,000 page report on illegal sand mining in the district to chief secretary, Lokayukta, the Malarpatna bridge had developed cracks.

“18 months after the report, Maravoor bridge developed cracks,” he said and added that if public did not wake up more bridges would sunk and develop cracks.

SDPI Moodbidri-Mulki president Asif Kotebagilu charged that the ongoing unscientific work on the new bridge had resulted in the bridge developing cracks.

SDPI president demanded a probe and urged government to open the bridge for public at the earliest.