KARAIKAL: After 157-year-old Thirumalairajanar bridge connecting Nagapattinam and Karaikal was damaged, vehicular traffic on the National Highway (NH) 45A was stopped on Sunday. Especially the vehicles bound for Vailankanni, the world-famous Christian pilgrim centre, from Chennai now have to travel extra 12-km.
The Thirumalairajanar bridge at TR Pattinam in Karaikal was constructed by the French in 1853 and measures 90 m long and 12 m broad.
A few bricks from the lower part of the bridge fell on Saturday. The bridge was closed for traffic immediately and the vehicles bound for Nagapattinam, Vailankanni and other areas were diverted through Panankattankudi, a nearby village.
On Sunday top PWD officials examined the upper part and the lower columns of the bridge. Experts from Chennai are soon to visit the spot, said official sources.
However, it must be noted that the public have been complaining for long that the bridge was weak.
The Puducherry government had long back written to the Union Surface Transport Ministry urging construction of a new bridge.