Motorists afraid to commute on partially built bridge

Bhadrachalam (Kothagudem) : Even as the second bridge over the Godavari River in Bhadrachalam is now in use for commuters after its inauguration during Sri Rama Navami this year in April, its incomplete construction has resulted in much annoyance and fear among the people.

It may be recalled that the bridge was opened for public use this year without a formal ceremony due to the election code being in effect, even though its construction was yet to be complete. As soon as the bitumen layer was laid, traffic could flow over it.

However, the struggle of the people with regards to this second bridge, which began nine years ago when its foundation was laid, is ongoing. One of the major reasons for the incomplete construction is that the north Indian company Rajdeep Buildcon Private Limited went over budget when building it and was unable to finish the outstanding work.

Even after the bridge has been in use for the past two months, the side railings of the approach roads and the walkways on either its side are still not finished. In addition to being unsafe, the new bridge’s absence of side rails has caused commuters to experience significant annoyance.

A resident of Sarapaka named KV Ramana expressed dissatisfaction about the further delay in operations due to the arrival of monsoon. P Srinu, a resident of Paloncha who frequently travels to Bhadrachalam for work, requested that the National Roads officials move quickly to finish the railing construction before anything bad happens.

Notably, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) granted the contracting agency multiple extensions to finish the project since they were unable to do it on time. According to Srinu, the agency’s and officials’ careless attitude is evident in the works’ delay.

The bridge links the States of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh and is traversed by hundreds of cars every day. Since traffic is now moving on both the new and old bridges, the inauguration of the second bridge has reduced traffic congestion, albeit with its set of challenges.