A portion of the high-level bridge across the Kodipunjulavagu stream in Manuguru town caved in on Wednesday, prompting the police to stop vehicular movement on the bridge.
The decades-old bridge reportedly developed a crack in the middle, which was repaired at an estimated cost of ₹20 lakh last year, sources said.
The town police closed the bridge for all three-wheelers and four-wheelers as a safety precaution.
Additional distance
Traffic on the busy Manuguru-Aswapuram main road has been diverted to an alternative route, which entails 8 km additional travel, sources added.
The road users blamed the precarious condition of the bridge, the crucial road link between the coal town of Manuguru and the industrial hub of Aswapuram, on the substandard repair works carried out on the bridge last year.
Hundreds of vehicles mainly the coal-laden trucks and the heavy vehicles carrying construction material for the upcoming 1080-MW Bhadradri Thermal Power Station pass through the bridge every day.
A team of engineers and senior officials of the Roads and Buildings Department is expected to examine the condition of the bridge on Thursday.
