BARIPADA: The incomplete bridge over Budhabalanga river is likely to be a major poll plank for the opposition during the upcoming Baripada Municipality election. The bridge has been delayed now by more than three years triggering resentment among residents here.
Once functional, the bridge will help solve commuting problem of people of Shamakhunta, Udala, Kaptipada, Baripada blocks and Baripada town besides residents of Nilagiri in Balasore district and neighbouring West Bengal.
The State government decided to build a new bridge over the river after the old one remained flooded due to heavy rain post Cyclone Phailin in 2013. Eight wards in Baripada municipality area were badly affected.
Acting on a report submitted by ODRAF in 2016 stating that the columns of the old bridge were at risk due to excessive sand mining, the district administration started filling up sand around the pillars of the bridge, and restricted sand mining in and around 500 metres of the columns.
For the construction of the 58 metres new bridge, the government had sanctioned `27,29,80,208 and Iron Triangle Limited, a road construction company got the bid for the work. Construction started on May 12, 2017 and was scheduled to be completed by December 11, 2018.
However, even after a three-year delay, the bridge remains incomplete posing inconvenience to many residents. During peak office hours, people of Madhuban Ward No 9 in Baripada Municipality and Poda Astia of Shamakhutna Block remain stranded amid traffic chaos on the old bridge. Rainy season aggravates the misery.
Gunadev Prusty and Rajesh Choudhury, residents of Madhuban said the bridge has not been completed due to absence of required intervention by district administration. But once the new bridge comes up, the traffic on the old bridge and flood threat will be solved, they added.
Executive Engineer of PWD Baripada division, Nandulal Ghadei said the construction work of the project has picked up and the bridge is expected to be completed this year.