Udupi: Kemmannu suspension bridge temporarily closed for public

Udupi:  Kemmannu suspension bridge, a favorite destination for tourists, has been temporarily closed to the public.

The Thonse gram panchayat has ordered the temporary closure of the suspension bridge.

The suspension footbridge under Kemmannu-Thonse Gram Panchayat was constructed in the 1980s to help residents Thimmana Kudru area cross the rivulet.  With the construction of a motorable permanent bridge, Kudru residents do not use the suspension bridge anymore. Now, it has turned into a tourist attraction – with large crowds gathering to experience the swaying of the bridge over water.

Following the suspension bridge disaster in Gujarat’s Morbi, safety issues had also come to the fore regarding the fitness of the Kemmannu suspension bridge in Udupi which attracts scores of tourists every day.

Considering that the suspension bridge is currently in a dangerous condition, the gram panchayat had asked tourists and the public from visiting the bridge. However, as these instructions were being ignored, the gram panchayat has decided to close the bridge until repairs can be made, the release from the panchayat said.