Only 50 pc work on dilapidated bridge on Wainganga completed
| Date :14-Apr-2022 |
Our Correspondent
SEONI,
The 50-year-old bridge built at Keolari on the Wainganga river on the Mandla-Seoni Highway has reached a dilapidated condition. In view of the dilapidated condition of the bridge, the construction work of the new bridge has been started near the old bridge in January 2019. But three years since then, due to the construction work of the bridge is still incomplete, traffic is still going through this old dilapidated bridge.
According to officials, in view of the increased water level in the Wainganga river due to heavy rains in the year 2020, the height of its pillar has been increased by 55-55 cm by changing the drawing and design of the bridge. Due to this, the construction work is getting delayed. So far, only 50 per cent of the work of the bridge has been completed. It is to be known that the construction of the old bridge was done in year
1974 by the Public Works Department. In the year 2020, some part of the first span of the old bridge, adjacent to the pit dug during the foundation construction of the last pillar of the new bridge near Keolari, broke down from the approach road and fell down. Due to this, traffic on the big bridge of Seoni-Mandla Highway was closed for a few days in March 2022. Vehicles had to move through the converted route of the smaller bridge for several months, but due to being dilapidated, there is a possibility of an accident on the old one.
The Bridge Corporation of the Public Works Department is constructing a 161-metre long bridge near Keolari on the Wainganga river, the construction of which is going on at a slow pace. Due to this, the traffic on the Seoni-Mandla road may once again be blocked during the rains.
The small bridge of Malara, which is used as a roadway, gets submerged in the light rain in pre-monsoon. If the traffic from the big one is closed, the big vehicles will be allowed to move from Seoni via Palari Tiraha via Dobha, Malara, Devghat, Chirchira, Palari, will have to travel to Mandla. Due to this, an additional 50 km ferra vehicles will have to be installed. The contractors and officials engaged in the construction work are not showing seriousness to complete the work of the bridge soon. Motorists will have to suffer during the rains.
The construction of a high level bridge across the Wainganga river on Keolari-Mandla Highway 11A is being done by the Setu Corporation, whose contract has been given to M/s Rajshree Construction Guna. Rajshree Construction has entrusted the responsibility of construction of the bridge to its sister organization Radhika Construction Seoni by the contractor company. Rs 1062.35 lakh is to be spent on the construction of the bridge.