Even as people of south Odisha, including Gajapati district, have a reason to heave a sigh of relief to safely cross the Mahendratanaya river to reach different destinations in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, they are eagerly waiting for the Chief Minister to open a new bridge constructed over the river recently. The Roads and Buildings department took 10 years more to complete the bridge on the lone connecting road from Paralakhemundi to Andhra Pradesh’s Purunapatna village. The bridge started in 2007 was scheduled to be completed in 2009. However, the construction work was delayed due to various reasons and the bridge was completed only in December 2017 with a total spending of `7.35 crore. The importance of the bridge is that it comes on the lone route that connects south Odisha to Andhra Pradesh through Paralakhemundi.
Till now, people are moving on the 153-year-old narrow and unsafe bridge to reach Purunapatna, Srikakulam, Bijaynagaram and Vishakhapatnam and other important places in the neighbouring State for works. Accidents occur more often on the bridge and number of vehicles is increasing by the day. Many students from lKG to College level are studying at Purunapatna and nearby places in the neigbouring State. Similarly people go to private hospitals and business establishments at the above places every day. People from the neighbouring State too come to Odisha through this route.
“The road was completed in December 2017. We have already informed about completion of the bridge to the Gajapati district administration,” informed R and B Executive Engineer laxmikant Padhi. While the date for visit of the Chief Minister has not yet been fixed, locals have
demanded that the Chief Minister come to the district and dedicate the bridge for public use at the earliest.