Concrete bridge to Dhabaleswar shrine opens

Athagarh: The newly-constructed concrete bridge connecting Dhabaleswar shrine with Athagarh in Cuttack district was opened for public on Wednesday.

“Though the construction work has not been fully completed, devotees and kawadiyas will be granted access to the 16th century shrine in view of the holy Shravan month. The bridge will be officially inaugurated once the project work is completed,” said Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain.

The 276-metre long and 6.2-metre wide bridge, connecting Mancheswar village with the shrine, has been constructed at a cost of Rs 22.28 crore under Biju Setu Yojana.

Dhabaleswar temple, which is located on an island of the Mahanadi, remained out of bounds for devotees after a temporary wooden bridge was washed away following a surge in the water of the Mahanadi on June 30.

The suspension bridge was earlier closed for public use after cracks were detected by an expert team and the repair work is still on.