The Tamil Nadu National Highways Wing, along with help from the state highways department worked overnight to restore traffic along the road between Udhagamandalam and Gudalur after an old bridge near Mel Gudalur began showing signs of excessive damage on August 12
According to officials, the bridge was being replaced with a newer structure, and traffic was still using the older bridge till its completion, when portions of the bridge’s foundation came loose and the structural integrity of the bridge became compromised.
As a result, traffic along the route came to a standstill, with traffic towards Kerala and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and the Kakkanallah check post being affected. The National Highways Wing, with the support of the state highways department worked through the night, from 6 p.m. onwards till 9 a.m. on Sunday, and managed to restore traffic along the route.
According to officials, light vehicles were allowed to use the Kalhatty ghat road till the opening of the road on Sunday morning. Officials stated that precast box culverts were arranged along the span of the opening, just next to the damaged bridge. “The precast box culverts are arranged between the gaps and there is no curing period required, with a road being laid over the prefabricated pieces,” said an official who was part of the work to fix the road.
The work done by the highways department was crucial as tourist traffic through Gudalur usually picks up on Sunday as weekend visitors to the district make their way back to Kerala and Karnataka through the route. The alternative road, the Kalhatty ghat road is closed off to vehicles and drivers from outside the Nilgiris.
