Bhubaneswar: A 100-foot section of the National Highway-20 caved in near Bodak under Olaga panchayat in Bhadrak district on Wednesday night after weeks of heavy rain triggered by a low-pressure system.
Commercial vehicles’ movement has been disrupted as a 1.5-km stretch of the highway has also weakened. Incessant rain over the past few weeks has affected several villages in Sundarpur, Olag, Aradi and Nandapur panchayats under Chandbali block. Floodwaters have damaged roads at several places, causing severe inconvenience to commuters.
The Bodak to Sathibankuda road, a stretch of about 1.5 km which connects Kuakhia with Satabhaya, has been particularly hit. Officials said about 500 feet of the road’s foundation has been weakened as floodwater is flowing underneath. The route is used by more than 100 vehicles daily travelling from Aradi to Bhubaneswar, Jajpur and Baragada.
Bus services on the route have also become risky due to the damage. Authorities carried out temporary repairs near Bodak on Thursday by placing sandbags and wooden poles along the damaged section to support the road.
