TIRUPPUR: An old weighbridge near the Tiruppur Market Committee complex has been endangering the lives of farmers and motorists.
The 30-year-old bridge is in a poor condition and has not been working properly for the last 10 years. It could handle 20 tons but owing to lack of maintenance it has rusted. The bridge is placed 20 feet deep. Its iron roads and pillars have become so weak that it can cave in anytime, said local traders.
Speaking to TNIE, Ramasamy (55), a farmer, said he fell from his moped last year after it ran over the jutting parts of the bridge.
“I used to visit the cotton market to purchase flowers. Last year I fell from the moped as I was about to enter the Tiruppur Market Committee from the Palladam road. I did not notice the iron bridge and its iron nuts installed on the road,” he narrated his ordeal.
Raghu (27), a flower seller said, “More traders have started arriving here. While many use the main entrance in Palladam, others use the side entrance through the weighbridge. Since there is no other gate, motorists move along the weak weighbridge.”
An official from the Tiruppur Market Committee said, “We have received several complaints and we have decided to remove the bridge. We have issued orders regarding it to the superintendent of the marketing committee so that they can issue a tender to builders or contractors who could remove the bridge at the earliest.”