India’s second largest cable bridge is to be opened in Sagar taluk in Karnataka. It is between Ambargodlu and Kalasavalli on Highway 369E. This new bridge is expected to significantly reduce travel time and boost local tourism and economic activity. It will improve connectivity to several villages in Sagar and Hosanagara taluks, as well as to popular temples like Sigandur Chowdeshwari and Kollur Mookambike.
The bridge was built to address long standing connectivity issues within the region, which was due to the flooding of the Sharavathi reservoir in the 1960s, which submerged large parts of the region. Due to this, commuters have been dependent on a daytime-only barge service to cross the backwaters of the region.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) sanctioned the project in March 2019, and construction began in December the same year. It was executed by Dilip Buildcon Ltd of Madhya Pradesh. The bridge is the eighth extradosed cable-stayed cum-balanced cantilever bridge approved by MoRTH in the country.
The bridge has a 16-metre-wide deck, which includes an 11-metre carriageway and 1.5-metre-wide footpaths on either side. The approach roads extend 1 km on the Sagar side and 3 km towards Sigandur. MoRTH took up the bridge construction following efforts by local residents, activists, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, MP BY Raghavendra and former minister Kagodu Thimmappa.
