A pittance can’t keep up Asia’s best bridge

Rajamahendravaram: Do you know how much is the annual allocation to Roads and Buildings Department for maintenance of the Asia’s second longest road-cum-rail bridge across the Godavari river here? Just Rs 1.11 lakh!

The officials do not know what to do with the meagre allocation and result is that it is acquiring the dubious distinction of Asia's No 1 rickety-and-ramshackle bridge.

The rail bridge is quite alright, but the road bridge has fallen on bad days. Vehicle-users are facing a problem due to potholes that had formed and negotiating them is not only arduous but also is risky as the road resembles lunar surface.

The bridge, which was opened for traffic in 1975, is a very important link between Kolkata with Chennai for road and railway. Damaged footpaths and railings, heaps of garbage accumulated on footpaths on both sides present a pathetic picture of the bridge which had seen glorious days.

For motorists, it is a bone-rattling experience drive on the 4.4 km bridge mainly during rainy season as entire length of the road will be riddled with puddles of water. Pedestrians too are afraid in using footpaths as many cement slabs are damaged with every chance of some giving away when a person step on them.

In a span of a decade, an amount of Rs 3 crore to Rs 4 crore has been spent for repairs from MLA and MP development funds and also from R&B department during Godavari Pushkaralu in 2015.

The department took up repairs to 65 secondary joints by spending Rs 75 lakh in 1995, Rs 97 lakh in 2005 and Rs 20 lakh in 2010. Former MLA RSP Rao had given Rs 10 lakh for the repairs in 2011. MP Maganti Murali Mohan, who recently inspected the road-cum-rail bridge, promised steps to protect the structure and to take the problem to the notice of the government. 

According to sources in R & B department, the state government is giving only an annual grant of Rs 1.11 lakh to maintain the bridge, which is insufficient and there are no regular staff to clean the bridge every day. 

Minor repairs, filling up of patches on the road, paintings, cleaning, etc., should be met with this meagre amount. As the bridge also has a rail track, for even small repairs the R&B department should get the permission of South Central Railway (SCR), which is another obstacle to take up temporary repairs.

Proposals have been sent to the government at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore to arrange for the crash-proof iron railings, but there has been no response from the government yet. Earlier, Chennai-based Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) and Civil Aid Techno Clinic Private Limited studied the condition of the bridge and gave suggestions for its maintenance.

R&B department maintains 400 construction joints and SCR maintains 35 crocodile joints. Any major repair should be taken up with the co-ordination of SCR and R&B department which is not happening.

By SS Chary