Movement of heavy vehicles on Kuloor bridge banned: Bridge declared unstable

June 5: The movement of heavy vehicles on Kuloor bridge across Phalguni river on National Highway 66 has been banned. The consultants engaged by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways found the bridge to be unsafe and declared the bridge to be weak and unstable.
A report was submitted by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to the district administration on September 27, 2018. In the report the NHAI had urged the district administration to prohibit the movement of heavy vehicles on Kuloor bridge.
DC Sasikanth Senthil has prohibited the movement of heavy vehicles on the bridge in a recent order under Motor Vehicles Act 1988 Section 115 and Section 221 A(5) of Rules of Motor Vehicles Act 1989.
After the ban has been imposed, heavy vehicles from Udupi to Bengalore and Bengalore to MRPL-Udupi should pass through Padubidri-Karkala-Guruvayanakere-Dharmasthala-Kokkada-Periyashanthi. Bullet tankers from Kerala to Udwupi should pass through KPT-Kavoor-Bajpe-Kana-Surathkal. Two- way traffic is opened on Kuloor new bridge for the movement of lorries, buses and tankers.
Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil said that light motor vehicles (LMVs) like cars, jeeps, autorickshwas and two-wheelers can ply on the old Kuloor bridge. The city police commissioner and SP have been asked to deploy police personnel to manage traffic. NHAI has proposed a new six-lane bridge between the two existing bridges.