Today, the Odisha government proclaimed the freshly constructed 276-metre-long concrete bridge connecting the Dhabaleswar shrine with Athagarh in Cuttack district accessible to the public.
While the bridge is still under construction, it has been opened for devotees and kawadiyas visiting the 16th-century Dhabaleswar shine during the month of Shravan. Once the construction work is completed, the bridge will be officially opened.
The 276-metre-long and 6.2-metre-wide bridge connecting the Dhabaleswar shrine to the mainland was built at a cost of Rs 22.28 crore under the Odisha government’s Biju Setu Yojana. Diptimayee Behera, Deputy Collector of Cuttack, stated that an approach road to the bridge with a parking lot has also been constructed.
The Dhabaleswar temple is located on an island in the Mahanadi and has been closed to worshippers since the temporary wooden bridge washed away on June 30 due to a surge in the Mahanadi’s water.
Previously, worshippers either took boat rides or walked across the suspension bridge, which was built in 2006. An experienced team discovered flaws in the suspension bridge and closed it to the public.
Source:OCN