Approach road of second bridge across river Godavari sinks in Kothagudem

The approach road of the second bridge across river Godavari near Sarapaka in Kothagudem district caved in on Thursday night, disrupting traffic between Sarapaka and Bhadrachalam. Authorities diverted vehicles to the old bridge while repair works and investigations into the incident began.

Kothagudem: The approach road of the second bridge built across river Godavari caved in within two years of it being commissioned in April 2024. The approach road on the right side of the bridge at Sarapaka suddenly caved in on Thursday night and officials suspended vehicular traffic on the bridge between Sarapaka and Bhadrachalam. Vehicles are now being allowed to move on the ageing old bridge, which is over 60 years old.

However, motorists expressed safety concerns as both up and down traffic was being allowed on the old bridge. Before the incident, both bridges shared the up and down traffic. The police have advised motorists to exercise caution and drive slowly.

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Officials from the relevant departments have started investigating causes such as structural defects or technical factors that might have contributed to the erosion of the approach road. Locals complained that poor quality work by the contractor and lack of monitoring by National Highways Authority of India officials had led to the incident.

The new bridge was built by Rajdeep Buildcon Private Limited at an estimated cost of Rs 98.45 crore and it took nearly nine years to complete the project though the original schedule was two years. The bridge serves as an important connecting point for Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, especially for devotees visiting Bhadrachalam to have darshan of the deities at the Bhadradri temple. Repairs began on Friday and it was not clear when traffic would be restored on the new bridge.