KOCHI: Cracks, structural instability, flaking off of the tarring, widening gaps in the girder, and deep potholes in the approach areas are some of the issues that plague the city’s bridges, which have been in the news for all the wrong reasons for a long time. Now, the Bolghatty-Vallarpadam Goshree bridge too has become a victim to this trend, with the formation of a deep pothole right at its starting point.
“The pothole, which has appeared on the approach road of the second bridge for vehicles coming from Vypeen, is a threat to motorists. It is especially dangerous for two-wheelers. Even container trucks find it difficult to manoeuvre the pothole,” said Abhijith K Mulavukad, president, Nerkazhcha Vedi. What makes the matter even worse is the absence of lights on the bridge, he added.
Hence, in order to prevent any untoward incident from happening, local residents have placed branches in and around the pothole. “The crater is in such a position that it will be difficult to spot it from a distance. The motorist becomes aware of it only in the last moment,” he said. According to the motorists frequenting the route, the bridges wear an eerie look after nightfall. “It is like a scene out of a ghost movie. We call them ghost bridges,” said a motorist.