Goods vehicle stuck on restricted old bridge at Bantwal

Bantwal: A goods vehicle got stuck at the old Panemangalore bridge built in the British era, on Saturday morning, December 21.

A Tata Ace goods tempo, used for spice powder marketing, was traveling from BC Road toward Panemangalore. The vehicle got stuck to the safety rail when it tried to enter the bridge despite restrictions on heavy vehicles.

The driver escaped unharmed, but the incident has disrupted traffic on the bridge.

The aging bridge, deemed unsafe for heavy vehicles, had been declared off-limits years ago by the district administration. Efforts are underway to remove the stuck vehicle.

Barricades were installed after cracks appeared during the last monsoon, at some point, they were being illegally removed by sand transport trucks. Following this, height-restriction iron guard rails were put in place.

Despite this, vehicles’ negligence and violation of restrictions have raised safety concerns.