OLD GOA: Inaugurated barely ten months ago, the Gaundalim-Cumbharjua bridge is already undergoing repairs. A steel arc of the bridge, which was inaugurated on April 24 last year, has tilted and could place the entire structure in danger.
A visit to the site revealed that work is on to ensure that the arch does not tilt further. “The steel structure is bending outwards thus causing danger to the bridge and work is going on to ensure that it does not tilt any further. At present the steel structure is weak and we are working to normalise the situation,” said a worker who did not want to reveal his identity.
“The work on strengthening the steel structure will get over by end of February and the bridge will again be operational,” he added.
Another worker simply dodged the question saying that only routine works are going ahead and the bridge will be opened later this month and that there was a delay in the work.
GSIDC Managing Director Sanjit Rodrigues, when contacted over the closure of the bridge, denied any tilting of the steel structure. He said, “There are lot of pending works of lighting and many other things and the bridge will be opened by end of February.”
Commuter, however, are waiting for the bridge to open. “This bridge is very important for the people on both sides of the river as this reduces the distance by almost 9 kilometers but now this bridge has been closed for works for long. All the people have to take the longer route and I don’t understand how the bridge constructions can fail,” Vinod Gaonkar, a resident of Old-Goa said.
