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Bridging the gigantic divide
Finally, the long-awaited 1.78-km-long high-level bridge across the Godavari between Mullakatta in Warangal district and Pusuru in Khammam district, which reduces the traveling distance by about 200 km between Hyderabad and Bhoopalpatnam in Chhattisgarh, will be thrown open to public on Friday.
KCR and Gadkari will open Mullakatta-Pusuru bridge across Godavari on Friday
Warangal/Khammam: Finally, the long-awaited 1.78-km-long high-level bridge across the Godavari between Mullakatta in Warangal district and Pusuru in Khammam district, which reduces the traveling distance by about 200 km between Hyderabad and Bhoopalpatnam in Chhattisgarh, will be thrown open to public on Friday.
Though it was planned that the bridge be inaugurated before the start of Godavari Maha Pushkaralu in July for the convenience of the devotees, for reasons unknown, the authorities deferred it.
It may be noted here for decades, the vehicular traffic bound for Bhoopalpatnam in Chhattisgarh from Hyderabad had to take a roundabout route via Khammam and Bhadrachalam.
The construction of the bridge which began in 2011 at an estimated cost of Rs 339 crore is said to be the vital inter-State road link between Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
Hyderabad-based KNR Constructions in a joint venture with Sri Lakshmi Metal Industries executed the construction of the bridge across the river Godavari and its approaches (length 18.69 km) at Eturunagaram on NH No. 163 (old NH No. 202)
connecting Hyderabad-Bhoopalapatnam under the Central government-sponsored Integrated Action Plan (IAE) for accelerated development of areas affected by Left wing extremism (LWE).
The bridge was scheduled to be completed within 36 months. Apart from reducing the distance between the two states, the high level bridge is also expected to pave way for the growth of inter-State trade, and the all round development of several tribal hamlets in Warangal and Khammam districts.
Once the bridge was thrown open, the people living in Wajedu, Venkatapurama and Cherala mandals in Khammam district, who hitherto had to travel via Bhadrachalam and Khammam to reach Hyderabad, will now easily reach the State capital via Warangal avoiding at least 200 km additional distance.
The bridge will also help the administration to rush in additional security forces to Maoist-infested areas along the highway in both the States, if needed.
This apart, the bridge will also come in handy for the devotees those coming from Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha states to attend the biennial Medaram tribal jatara in Tadwai mandal of Warangal district.
Meanwhile, arrangements were in full swing for the inauguration of the bridge by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday.
The police are on high alert and have intensified combing operations in Dandakaranya besides conducting nakabandi in Wajedu, Venkatapuram and Cherla mandals.
By:Adepu Mahender
