Local irked as Eral bridge in Thoothukudi remains closed for 4th consecutive day due to flood damage

CHENNAI: The Eral bridge across the Tamirabarani river, which sustained damage in the recent heavy rains, remains closed for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.

The bridge was initially damaged last December, and although temporary repairs were made, the bridge was not fully restored. As a result, commuters have been forced to rely on the lower-level bridge, which has also been damaged due to lack of maintenance, said a Daily Thanthi report.

Locals complained that the lack of maintenance and the delay in repairing the higher-level bridge have caused significant inconvenience to the people, especially school and college students.

After the torrential rains in the recent days subsided and the water receded, the traffic on the bridge was expected to resume. However, it has not happened because of the bad condition of the bridge.

With the bridge in poor condition, residents from Kurumbur, Alwarthirunagar, and Nazareth, who used to travel via the bridge to Thoothukudi are finding it difficult to commute. This has affected businesses in the area, with traders and shopkeepers alleging that they were facing huge losses.

The people there blamed the authorities' lackadaisical attitude in repairing the bridge after the damage and the lack of proper maintenance for the present situation. They demanded that the officials take immediate steps to repair the Eral bridge and restore connectivity to the area.