Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jun 17: The narrow Bykampady railway over bridge has always been proved to be a weak link on national highway 17. Located on the city outskirts, this bridge has often given rise to long traffic blocks, as it is narrow and weak.

With the onset of monsoon seaspm, travelling on national highway through this bridge has proved to be a painful experience for the vehicle users. There have been instances of the buses getting stranded here for hours on end, and sometimes, even forcing them to abort their trips.

On Wednesday June 16, MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, district deputy commissioner, V Ponnuraj, city mayor, Rajani Dugganna, town planning standing committee chairman, Sudhir Shetty Kannur, corporator, Yashwant Meenakalia, Panambur police sub-inspector, Nandakumar, BJP city north block president, Sharatchandra Shetty etc., visited the spot, in the light of complaints received about the traffic problems created at the bridge.

Nalin expressed surprise at the fact that the railways department has not done the needful, even though the concrete on the bridge has peeled, and its steel rods are protruding. He said he will pressurize the railways to do the needful.

Deputy commissioner, Ponnuraj, said that Ircon, which has taken up the highway widening work, has the responsibility of attending to works here. He said he has asked the company to hasten the works. He promised to consider alternative routes for the goods vehicles of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited and New Mangalore Port Trust, to ease traffic burden on this bridge.