Eight years on, second bridge across Godavari is still incomplete

The construction of a second high-level bridge spanning the river Godavari in Bhadrachalam appears to be an endless tale, with the project ongoing despite the foundation being laid eight years ago.

Kothagudem: Construction of a second high level bridge across the river Godavari at Bhadrachalam seems to be an unending saga as the work is still going on, after the foundation was laid eight years ago for the bridge.

It may be noted that the existing high level bridge across the river was constructed in a five year period from 1960 to 1965 after the foundation was laid on December 16, 1959 by the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. N Sanjeeva Reddy.

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Though the existing bridge works were completed in a five years span when the technology was not much advanced compared to present day technology, the second bridge construction is not yet complete despite the availability of modern construction technology.

The foundation stone for the construction of the high level bridge parallel to the existing bridge was laid in April 2015 by the then union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari along with the then R&B Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao. The bridge’s construction was supposed to be completed within two years.

But the bridge construction works are going at a snail’s pace allegedly due to the negligence of the contracting agency. As a result the deadline for its commissioning is missing one after another.

As the traffic congestion increased due to increased vehicular flow over the years on the existing bridge, the second bridge was proposed to be built to ease the traffic flow on National Highway 30, a vital road link that connects Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh States.

The bridge is 1.20 kilometres in length and 12 metres in width with 37 piers and its construction was taken by a north Indian company Rajdeep Buildcon Private Limited with an estimated cost of Rs.65 crore on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) basis.

As the agency failed to execute the project as per the schedule National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) gave extensions to the agency several times to complete the project.

The NHAI, Dy. Executive Engineer Sailaja speaking to Telangana Today said the construction work was under progress and that when it would be completed was not known.

Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao inspected the works recently and directed work officials to resume work, halted due to monsoon, immediately. He expressed anger at the delay in the works and told officials to ensure the bridge construction should be completed by the end of February.