The Udupi Railway Yatri Sangha has demanded the immediate construction of another railway overbridge at Indrali here. R.L. Dias, president of the sangha, said here on Wednesday that while the widening work on the National Highway 169A had been taken up on the Udupi-Manipal stretch here, another overbridge was planned in addition to the existing one. However, all vehicles are presently moving on the existing overbridge.
Since the widening of the road had been carried out on either side of the existing overbridge, the construction of a planned parallel overbridge had not been taken up. This was creating a lot of problems for the pedestrians and vehicle drivers. This was also leading to accidents near the existing railway overbridge, he said.
There was no clarity on this issue from either the National Highways Division or the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL). The sangha had already submitted a memorandum in this regard to Additional Deputy Commissioner Sadashiva Prabhu in the matter and demanded immediate action from the district administration. The administration had agreed to hold a meeting on the issue here on Friday, he said.
The sangha wanted a parallel overbridge to be built. At present, one side of the road from Udupi to Manipal on NH 169A was on a higher elevation than the other side of road. It would be better if both were at the same height, Mr. Dias said.
Meanwhile, sources in the National Highways Division of the Public Works Department overseeing the widening work of NH 169A said that the existing railway overbridge was a three span bridge. The new overbridge, which will be constructed next to the existing overbridge, because of the widened NH 169A, would be a single span bridge. It would be 58 metres long and 12 metres wide.
KRCL was yet to approve of the general arrangement drawing for the overbridge. A meeting would be held on Saturday. Since it will be a single span bridge, its height will be higher than the existing overbridge. Hence, to match the height of the planned new overbridge, the approach road on either sides had been constructed at an elevation, the sources said.
