Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari threw open India's second-longest cable-stayed Sigandur bridge in Karnataka's Shivamogga district on Monday, The Economic Times reported.
The bridge, built at Rs 472 crore, connects Ambaragodlu and Kalasavalli across the Sharavathi backwaters in Sagara taluk. As per the report, the 2.25 km long bridge will reduce the travel distance from Sagara town to the villages around Sigandur, a place known for the Chowdeshwari temple.
The bridge has been constructed after the demand from residents. They had lost road connectivity after the construction of the Linganmakki dam to generate power in the 1960s, the report added.
According to The Economic Times, commuters relied on coracles for river crossings. However, in a tragic incident, 21 people died after a boat capsized in the backwaters. The incident prompted the residents to make their demand heard. As a result, officials introduced ferries operated by the Department of Ports and Inland Water Transport.
The demand for a bridge grew louder in recent decades as the number of people visiting the Chowdeshwari temple increased.
The event was also attended by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa. As per the report, Chief Minister (CM) Siddaramaiah or any of his ministers did not attend the event.
The CM had urged the Union Minister to postpone the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony of infrastructure projects at Sagara taluk in Shivamogga, stating that he was not informed in advance.
The CM had cited his visit Indi taluk in Vijayapura district, saying it would have been more appropriate for the ministry to have consulted with the state government before scheduling such a programme, the report added.
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