Kakinada: The condition of a bridge on the beach road between Kakinada-Uppada is precarious and dilapidated that poses a threat of collapse any time. Though the authorities allowing traffic on it, there is always a sense of feae about the safety aspect.
There have been many proposals to construct a permanent structure in place of the present bridge but they have all been kept aside. Neither the Central government nor the State seem to be taking any concrete step for the traffic on the bridge. The government has not sanctioned any funds for it.
Roads and Building officials, meanwhile, made proposals to construct a new bridge on the beach road to which the higher authorities have put several queries. They wanted to know if the Kakinada-Uppada beach road can be taken under Sagaramala project or if they should construct a highway from Kakinada to Visakhapatnam through beach road in which case funds, allocated for the new bridge would go waste. There is another proposal to construct a lengthy bridge from Uppada to Kakinada with 18 kilometre length on the road. But none of these proposals seem to have worked out so far.
The governments, meanwhile, have not take any step to come out with a permanent solution for the road.
Under the prevailing circumstances, the R&B officials have proposed a temporary causeway as an alternative to the existing bridge at a cost of Rs 40 lakh, if any dangerous situation arises. Work on the causeway is being built near the existing bridge started around three months back. But people are criticising the causeway works.
Coastal Fisheries Welfare Association president Dasari Satyanarayana said people do not understand why the causeway is being constructed since the pipes are filled with sand casting and there is a stoppage of seawaters due to sand casting. If the seawater is stranded under the bridge and the causeway, it may collapse or would be washed away because of the pressure and the strong wavs in the sea. This situation is bound to pose a bigger danger to people.
R&B officials say that the causeway is only temporary way out for for the bridge and the sand casting may be removed when there are high high tides.
They said that the construction of the causeway has been completed and only approach BT roads has to be laid. That will be completed in pro-atmospheric conditions soon.
