In view of the increasing commercial traffic on National Highway-143, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested the Centre for construction of a second bridge over River Brahmani near Rourkela, official sources said.
In a letter to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the Chief Minister yesterday said the two-lane bridge over river Brahmani connecting Rourkela city to Western and Northern Odisha, is in a very distressed condition.
Mining and other commercial traffic has considerably increased over the bridge, he said.
Stating that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) took up the four-laning of Biramitrapur-Barkote section of NH-143 which also included construction of a new bridge over river Brahmani and awarded the work on May 31, 2012, Patnaik pointed out in the letter that the award was foreclosed due to delay in environmental clearance.
As condition of the bridge was worsening with each passing day, Patnaik said commercial traffic to Rourkela will be completely disrupted in the eventuality of any damage to the existing bridge.
The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to issue direction to the NHAI to take up construction of a new bridge immediately.
"The bridge work may kindly be taken up as a stand-alone project to save time," Patnaik said in the letter.
