Balasore, Jan. 6: The public works department today demolished an old bridge at Jaleswar despite protests from the state unit of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach).

Intach-Odisha project head Anil Dhir said the bridge - Baramuha Pola - was a part of the Jagannath Sadak, a 510km road that used to connect Calcutta with Puri's Jagannath temple.

"The road was built in 1880 following the great famine. It is a 135-year-old heritage structure, built using morrum and lime. It should have been saved. About 200 vestiges, including the Baramuha Pola, still exist on the road. We had submitted a report to the state government about a year ago requesting them to notify it as a heritage structure," said Dhir.

"Despite repeated appeals, the bridge has been demolished. We had also given suggestions to make a new bridge for vehicles beside the Baramuha Pola, while the old structure could have been used by pedestrians," he said.

The department's assistant executive engineer Manas Sethy, however, said: "The bridge on the NH-60, which connects Kharagpur with Balasore, had become unsafe. The narrow road was also causing traffic congestion. The alignment of the road had to be altered if we had to save the Baramuha Pola. But, that is also not possible as there is no land to acquire in the vicinity."

He said the government wanted to construct a three-lane bridge in the place by spending Rs 9.10 crore. "The tender for the construction of the new bridge has already been awarded. The bridge will be about 40 feet wide," he said.

"The road was used by the pilgrims to go to Puri from Calcutta. Sri Chaitanya Dev, Guru Nanak and Santh Kabir, too, took this road to Puri. Besides, Moguls, Marathas, Afghans and East India Company officials also used the road," said Intach Balasore chapter convener Himansu Das.