Odisha: Cracks in Gurupriya Bridge 18 months after completion

KORAPUT: Just about 18 months after it was thrown open to public, the 910m long Gurupriya Bridge, the only link to 151 villages in the Maoist-hit Malkangiri district, has developed cracks.
"Cracks have appeared in the middle of the bridge. People are now scared to use the bridge fearing it may collapse. Developing cracks within such a short span is a matter of grave concern. It raises questions on the quality of work," former Nabarangpur MP Pradeep Majhi said.
The bridge, which connects villages situated on the other side of the Balimela reservoir with the mainland (Chitrakonda block) in the district, was built by Kolkata-based Royal Infraconstru Limited. The work began in 2015 with BSF personnel being deployed at both ends of the bridge. Though the work was supposed to be completed by 2017, it was delayed by a year owing to technical issues.
The public works department, which has already taken up the repair work, said a few rods in the girder of the bridge have bent slightly and dismissed apprehension of things getting any worse. "The rods in the expansion joint on the girder (span no 16) has bent a little. We will replace the steel angle with a new one. It's minor. Work will be completed in two days," Arun Kumar Sahu, superintending engineer of the public works division (Jeypore circle), said.