Asia’s third longest Road cum Railway Bridge on Godavari comes to dilapidated state in Rajamahendravaram

The 4.1 km long bridge has served for 52 years both for road and railway traffic.

The 4.1-kilometre-long Road Cum Railway Bridge (RCRB) across river Godavari came to a dilapidated state, 52 years after its service for railway and road traffic in Rajamahendravaram city in Andhra Pradesh. 

Built by Braithwaite, Burn and Jessop Construction company in 1970, the bridge is dubbed as the ‘Asia’s third longest’ road cum railway bridge. 

On August 16, 1974, then President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed had commissioned the bridge that connects Kovvur and Rajamahendravaram city. 

In an interaction with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Rajamahendravaram MP Margani Bharat and Kakinada MP Vanga Geetha has stated; “The RCRB is in dilapidated condition. The total steel pathways on both sides of the bridge for the length of 2.9 km has to be replaced immediately”.

Speedy collapse: “Recently, the handrails and footpaths at several locations have been collapsed. It is essential to construct a new RCRB bridge across the Godavari to avoid any danger apart from better railway connectivity”, appealed Mr. Bharat to Mr. Vaishnaw in a representation. 

The present state of the RCRB has been appraised to the Railway Board, New Delhi and South-Central Railway General Manager, Secunderabad. 

Since 2019, the South-Central Railway and State Road and Buildings Department have taken up repair works of the RCRB on a temporary basis. MP Mr. Bharat has appealed to the Railway Ministry to explore the possibility to propose a new RCRB on a war-footing basis to avoid any untoward incidents in future.