SAMBALPUR: Within seven months after the second bridge over Mahanadi river was thrown open to the public, a crack has developed at the meeting point of its approach road on Nelson Mandela Chowk side, evoking sharp reactions among the city residents.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had on February 1 this year inaugurated the bridge connecting Nelson Mandela Chowk with Chaunrpur on another side of the river. The 1500 metre bridge, having a width of 14.8 metres, was constructed at a cost of Rs 117.72 crore. The work was executed by the Public Works Department (PWD).
Member of Sambalpur Forum Mukesh Jariwal said surfacing of the crack barely seven months after the bridge’s inauguration exposes the poor quality of work. Commuters using the bridge are feeling unsafe after the crack surface. Many other residents also echoed similar sentiments.
Executive Engineer of PWD, Division I, Sambalpur Bijay Mohanty said he is aware of the crack. However, the bridge is intact. “Since it is a high-level bridge, the approach road has been constructed by filling sand. The sand filling caved in due to the recent heavy rains resulting in the crack.
The repair work will be carried out shortly. The construction firm, which executed the project, will undertake the work, Mohanty added.
Earlier, one had to travel a distance of about 25 km to reach Chaunrpur village from the city. However, after the bridge came up, the distance between Chaunrpur and Nelson Mandela Chowk was reduced to only two km.
Apart from reducing the distance, the bridge is also providing alternative connectivity from Sambalpur to Bargarh district. Besides, it is acting as a direct link from Sambalpur to around 50 villages of Dhankauda block and some areas under Sambalpur Municipal Corporation. Sources said the bridge would boost the further expansion of the city by providing access to large tracts of Government land lying unused across the river.