In the early hours of Wednesday, a bridge over the Kali river collapsed, leading to significant traffic congestion on National Highway No. 66, which connects Goa and Karnataka. According to officials, the collapse occurred around 1 a.m.A truck was crossing the bridge at the time of the collapse and fell into the river. Local fishermen rescued the driver, as confirmed by a police official from Karwar, Karnataka. The bridge in question, located at Sadashivgad, was an old structure that had been in use for Goa-bound traffic since the construction of a new bridge a decade ago.Kali bridge connecting Karwar to Goa has collapsedThe incident took place last midnight. In the incident, a lorry fell into the river & the driver is injured. Police & firemen engaged in rescue work.This bridge on NH 66 is 41 years old, built in 1983 pic.twitter.com/h40A8NCFzr— Shubham Vernekar (@AgentShubham) August 7, 2024Impact on trafficFollowing the incident, traffic on the newly constructed bridge was temporarily halted to assess any potential damage. Later, light vehicles were permitted to cross, but heavy vehicles were still restricted. The Karwar police stated that the movement on the new bridge was limited as a precautionary measure while authorities checked its stability.Old Kali Bridge on NH4 at Karwar collapsed at 01:00AM. Luckily no casualities so far. This bridge should have been inspected earlier from time to time and this incident could be avoided. @dcuttarakannada @NUKANNADA @tv9kannada @KarwarNews @ZpKarwar pic.twitter.com/jD2Z4WSHgs— Pratik Naik (@Pratik_naik_143) August 7, 2024Authorities responseGoas Canacona police station in-charge, Harish Raut Desai, mentioned that the Goa police were working closely with their Karwar counterparts to manage the situation and ensure safety on the highway. The collapse has prompted a thorough inspection of the new bridge to prevent further incidents and ensure the safety of commuters.
