Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Nov 10: The long-awaited rehabilitation work of several old and weakened bridges across Dakshina Kannada (DK) district has commenced.
A total of 25 bridges have been identified for restoration, including 8 on state highways and 17 on major district roads. The Public Works Department (PWD) has proposed an estimated budget of Rs 11.65 crore for these works and has obtained in-principle approval from the state government.
In recent years, several key bridges such as those at Polali, Palimaru, and Malavoor had become structurally weak, posing potential safety risks. A technical committee was formed to assess the situation, which conducted inspections and submitted a report stating that 27 bridges across the district were in a deteriorated condition and required immediate rehabilitation.
Since some of these bridges are located on roads that have now been upgraded to national highways, their maintenance has been handed over to the National Highways Authority. The remaining bridges will be repaired and rehabilitated by the PWD.
The Polali bridge, an important link connecting Mangaluru and BC Road, has also been taken up for repair. Owing to its weakened condition, vehicular movement over the bridge was restricted last year, causing inconvenience to residents and students commuting to Mangaluru, which even led to public protests. Repair work on the bridge has now begun at a cost of Rs 6.10 crore. Although progress has been slightly delayed due to rain, officials have assured that work will gain pace soon.
A new bridge has already been constructed between Mangaluru and Bajpe to strengthen connectivity, while the old Maravoor bridge has been retained. However, one of its pillars has deteriorated and is now being reconstructed. Rehabilitation of the 8th pillar is underway, following previous repairs to another damaged pillar. The structure had suffered due to sand mining in the riverbed below. An amount of Rs 8 crore has been allocated for this purpose.
The Palimaru bridge, one of the key connectors between Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, had been closed to vehicular movement due to its poor condition. Although Rs 5 crore had been sanctioned earlier for its repair, a technical report deemed restoration unfeasible. Consequently, the department has decided to construct a new bridge at an estimated cost of Rs 16 crore.
The PWD has strictly prohibited sand mining beneath bridge structures following reports of unauthorized activity. Officials explained that while controlled sand removal upstream is acceptable for maintaining water flow, mining directly under bridges weakens their pillars. Hence, sand extraction within 250 meters upstream and 200 meters downstream of bridges has been completely banned.