Chaos as rly. overbridge is closed in Belagavi

Heavy rush of vehicles on Kapileshwar bridge after the railway overbridge near the railway station was closed on Tuesday. Photo by P.K. Badiger

Huge traffic jam at many places

Experimental closure of the railway overbridge near the railway station is causing great inconvenience to commuters in Belagavi. This is to see how traffic can be diverted between the north and south regions of the city in case the bridge has to be demolished.

Though traffic police diverted traffic via Goaves, Tilakwadi and Shahapur, confusion prevailed for hours on Monday and Tuesday. The overbridge near Kapileshwar Mandir, connecting four cross roads, suffered traffic jams for hours.

Some bike riders defied traffic police who asked them to follow the one-way rule at the Tilakwadi first and second gates. The railway crossings at the three gates on Khanapur road were jammed every few minutes. Roads in Wadagaon and Hindwadi were crowded after some drivers chose the single road that connects Bhagya Nagar to Shahapur and Khade Bazar. Commuters complained about the barricades that had come up overnight at various places in Goaves and Tilakwadi and traffic police personnel got tired of explaining that the barricades were meant to streamline traffic movement. The number of vehicles passing through the military camp area increased as most people chose to travel through the camp to reach Channamma Circle from Khanapur road.

The century-old overbridge was built by the British. In 2004, the city corporation engineers certified that it can survive for 10 more years. As a run-up to that, railway and district administration officials are testing if closing the railway gate would inconvenience the commuters and whether the old bridge can be retained for a few more months, till the actual work starts.

Officers will assess the impact of the closure and submit a report to the State government and the railways. Alternatives, other than closing the overbridge will be explored, Deputy Commissioner S. Ziyaullah said. MP Suresh Angadi said he had requested the railway authorities to complete the demolition and construction in six months. “If we don’t do that, grant allocated to the task will lapse,” Mr Angadi said.