Kothagudem: The construction of a second bridge on the river Godavari at Bhadrachalam is going on at a snail’s pace.
The Godavari witnessed floods thrice after the works of the second bridge commenced. Technical problems is said to be the cause for delay.
The engineers failed to design the pillar depth and length before commencing bridge works.
The bridge requires 36 pillars and the company has only completed pillar construction. But the engineers found defects in two pillars after completion. Later, the two pillars were demolished and the other works were kept pending.
Track bed works have to be laid on seven pillars on the Bhadrachalam town side. Sand depth in the river is very high and the pillars base should be below the sand bedof the river.
People of the four states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chattisgarh have been facing problems due to non-completion of the second bridge on the Godavari.
Thousands of lorries and buses from these four states ply on the bridge every day. People from Sukma and Bijapur in Chattisgarh and Malkangiri in Odisha reach Hyderabad through this route.
Apart from transport of people, thousands of lorries ply the route carrying material and machines from the mines in Chattisgarh every day. Traffic at Sarapaka and Bhadrachalam has seen interruptions in the busy hours because of one bridge.
Keeping traffic problems in view, the Central government sanctioned a second bridge and the Union minister of the National Highway project laid the foundation stone for the second bridge on April 1, 2015, but construction is not completed even after five years.
The cost of the project is Rs 90 crore and a company from north India obtained the contract for Rs 65 crore.
Bridge works are under the purview of the National Highways department and state government has no role in construction.
Works should be completed before July 15 as works will be hit with floods in the river.
