Gurupriya bridge to be completed before schedule: UN Behera

Chitrakonda: The Odisha government is hopeful that the construction of the much-awaited Gurupriya bridge in the cut-off areas of Chitrakonda in Malkangiri district would be completed before schedule.

“I had visited Janbai in the last week of September last year to review the construction work of Gururpriya bridge. This is my second visit to the area. I have found that there has been substantial progress in the construction work. While construction of the bridge is scheduled to be completed in September next year, I am hopeful that it would be completed before the scheduled time frame considering the pace of the work,” UN Behera, additional chief secretary to the chief minister, told OTV today.

Asked whether the work will be hampered during the rainy season, Behera said the engineers engaged in the construction work have said there will be no problem and the work will also continue in full swing even during the rainy season.

Referring to the bending of pile no-13 of the bridge, he said the construction company has changed the design of this pile and will begin construction work soon.

“Construction of this pile would be taken up simultaneously with other construction work of the bridge,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Behera and Water Resources secretary PK Jena, accompanied by Malkangiri collector and SP, arrived at Papermenta police station in a helicopter. From there, he went to the bridge construction site on a bike amid tight security by BSF personnel.