Traffic resumes on Udane bridge after certification from NHAI

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 11,2016: Movement on the old bridge near Udane on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway resumed from Aug 10, Wednesday afternoon after engineers of the NHAI, National Highways Authority of India found it safe.

DK, Dakshina Kannada police had stopped all vehicular movement on the bridge after it was partly damaged in an accident involving an LPG tanker.

The trailer of the Bengaluru-bound LPG tanker fell into the Kumaradhara rivulet earlier.  As a result, a portion of the embankment of the bridge was damaged. The police diverted Bengaluru-bound vehicles at Uppinangady, while those coming to Mangaluru were diverted at Gundia. The district police asked NHAI to certify the bridge’s safety in the meantime.

C.B. Ryshyanth, Assistant Superintendent of Police, told media that a team of NHAI experts inspected Udane bridge for an hour from 2 p.m. and found no major damage. After it was certified as safe, vehicular movement was fully restored.

On Wednesday morning, vehicles piled up on either side of Udane bridge. While some vehicles did ply on the alternate routes, heavy vehicles and some KSRTC buses preferred using the bridge. While waiting for NHAI officials, the police decided to allow slow movement of vehicles across the bridge.

Meanwhile, the Mangaluru City Corporation resumed pumping water from Netravathi at Thumbe at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. A corporation official said pumping was resumed after analysing a water sample from the river.

Water supply to Puttur from Kumaradhara has also resumed. On Tuesday evening, the police had asked villagers downstream not to use the water for few hours as LPG gas had leaked into it. The corporation and the Puttur Town Municipality did not pump water from Netravathi and Kumaradhara rivers, respectively, on Tuesday.