Ore-laden trucks stuck in a jam on the Mahanadi bridge. Telegraph picture

Paradip, May 19: The National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) has sounded a fresh cave-in warning on the bridge over the Mahanadi on NH-5(A) connecting Paradip port and the state’s mineral-rich hinterland.

The authorities maintained that the bridge was subjected to unregulated static load in the form of stranded ore-laden trucks.

Following spurt in iron-ore exports from Paradip port, vehicular traffic, especially ore-laden trucks, plying on this route has gone up many-fold. This had led the bridge to withstand enormous static load exerted by stranded ore-laden trucks.

“We were forced to serve yet another warning yesterday as there is no let-up in the static load on the bridge. We are deeply concerned about the safety and lifespan of the bridge,” said A.K. Ray, project director, NHAI (Orissa).

Revenue divisional commissioner (central) and collectors of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts have been asked to plug the static load.

“The uninterrupted load exertion would lead to the caving in of the bridge,” said Ray.

There are two bridges over the Mahanadi to accommodate the four-lane highway. Both the old and the new bridge bear the brunt of colossal static load as loaded trucks on their way to Paradip port get stranded on the bridge.

“Recently we had issued a statutory warning to the state government as the safety of the bridge was at stake. The RDC (central), besides the collectors of Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, were earnestly requested to take up the matter to ensure the safety of the bridge and the people. But it is a matter of deep regret that scenario remains the same,” he said.

The bridge was 930 metres long. Its structural design and load-intake capacity was far less than the static load it had been experiencing. The aftershocks of the static load was curtailing its lifespan and exposing the bridge to a possible cave-in threat, NHAI officials said, adding that the old bridge has developed cracks and it was high time to take measures to avert an impending disaster.

NHAI has had a series of letter communications with the state government in this connection during the past one year. The latest communication happened on May 17. But the state government has failed to take up the things, Ray said.

Acute traffic congestion results in the bridge being jammed by loaded trucks, which exerts heavy static load. “The NH traffic wing of state police has been directed to ensure that the river bridge was freed of static loaded trucks. Not often do trucks remain stranded on the bridge. Only on few occasions, when there is severe traffic jam, such things occur,” said Shantanu Kumar Das, sub-divisional police officer, Paradip.