New caution boards have come up on either side of Mayor Muthu Road Over Bridge (ROB) warning heavy vehicles with more than 10 tonnes of weight to avoid the structure connecting Periyar bus stand with southern parts of Madurai city.
Reason: the bridge has lost its designed stability due to lack of proper maintenance. The bridge is a vital connectivity on the all-important Tirupparankundram Road providing the shortest link for southern districts to Madurai railway junction and Meenakshi temple.
In a bid to safeguard the “weak structure”, the Highways Department has put up another caution board restricting the speed limit on the bridge to 30 kmph.
A cursory glance shows that the sub-structure of the bridge is in bad shape what with the outer plastering worn out in every pillar. The iron rods have remained exposed to open air in too many spots for very long and are rusted. Even as the…