Jeypore, 17th Sept 2025: The 94-year-old iron bridge over the Kolab River near Patraput is now in a dangerous condition. In many places, the iron rods are exposed and rusted, and the road surface is completely damaged, making travel difficult and risky. Despite this, no maintenance or repair measures have been taken.
On the other hand, three years ago, the National Highways Division initiated a plan to construct a new bridge near the existing British-era iron bridge. Although tenders were floated and work was started, the project has not moved forward. Due to lack of progress, the department cancelled the contractor’s agreement, and it has now been five months with no further steps taken.
The Kolab River flows near Patraput in Dangarchhinchi Panchayat, connecting Baipariguda and Lamptaput areas. To facilitate this, the British administration built the iron bridge in 1931. Now 94 years old, thousands of heavy vehicles cross it daily, further weakening the structure.
In several areas, miscreants have stolen parts of the iron. The road on the bridge is now broken and full of potholes. Previously, it was under the Public Works Department, but later it was handed over to the National Highways Authority. The bridge’s deteriorating condition has raised serious public concern.
In response, the National Highways Division proposed building an alternative bridge to the west of the existing one. A design was prepared for a 175-meter-long bridge along a 1200-meter road, with an estimated cost of ₹24.33 crore. However, the first two tenders were cancelled for various reasons.
In the third tender, Brajesh Agrawal, a contractor from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, won the bid for ₹18.70 crore. A formal agreement was signed on November 11, 2022, with a deadline of two years for completion. However, due to continuous negligence by the contractor, the National Highways Division terminated the contract five months ago.
Despite the contract cancellation, no fresh tender has been issued yet. This has caused growing resentment among the local population.
According to departmental engineers, a new estimate has been prepared by a private agency, and once it is approved, the tender process will restart. However, the revised cost estimate has not been disclosed yet.