Kozhikode: The Mahe bridge on the National Highway between Kannur and Kozhikode that was closed for emergency repair and maintenance works on June 18 was reopened on Friday. The traffic through the bridge was banned for all vehicles, except small ones, during the period.
National Highway executive engineer G. Pradeep said that there were many hairline cracks on the three panels of the bridge. Several cracks and road damage have also been repaired. An instant concrete mix “explocrete” that sets within half-an-hour was used for concreting some points of the panels on the bridge. The repair work gave more importance to proper road surfacing, he added.
Heavy vehicles, especially interstate tankers and trucks, were worst-affected due to the temporary closure. Ordinary buses plying on the Thalassery-Vadakara route stopped services on either side of the bridge, while the long-distance buses used the Thalassery-Manjodi-Chokli-Mekunnu, Monthal-Kunhippally route. Tankers and trucks used the Thazhe Chovva-Chala-Koothuparamba-Pookkode-Panur-Keehmadam-Mekunnu-Peringathur-Nadapuram-Kainatti route between Kannur and Vadakara.
