Telangana Bridge Collapse: 8-Year Construction Lost in Telangana Bridge Mishap

The collapse of the Peddapalli Bridge occurred at night, with no reported casualties. Two out of five concrete girders between two pillars, located about 100 feet apart, collapsed around 9:45 pm due to strong winds in the area.

There are concerns among locals that the remaining three girders may also collapse soon. Fortunately, a bus carrying a marriage party of 65 people had passed by just one minute before the collapse, narrowly avoiding disaster.

The nearly one-kilometer-long bridge across the Manair river was inaugurated in 2016 and was meant to reduce the distance between three towns by about 50 km. The bridge was intended to connect Garmillapallu in Tekumatla mandal in Bhupalpalli to Odededu in Peddapalli.

However, the contractor reportedly stopped work within a year or two due to pressure for commissions and non-payment of dues by the government. The local MLA, Mr. Rao, mentioned that the same contractor had previously built a bridge in Vemulawada that was washed away during heavy rain in 2021.

Villagers have been using the same route, laying a mud road under the bridge, for the past five years. Despite additional funds of Rs 11 crore being allocated to the estimated cost, less than 60% of the project was completed, according to Sandeep Rao, a local resident.