Cuttack: The Odisha government on Wednesday declared the newly-constructed 276-metre-long concrete bridge connecting the Dhabaleswar shrine with Athagarh in Cuttack district opened for the public on Wednesday.
While the construction of the bridge is yet to be completed, it has been opened for devotees and kawadiyas who would be visiting the 16th-century Dhabaleswar shine during the month of Shravan. The bridge will be officially opened once the construction work is completed.
The 276-metre-long and 6.2-metre-wide bridge, connecting the Dhabaleswar shrine with the mainland, has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 22.28 crore under the Biju Setu Yojana of the Odisha government. Cuttack Deputy Collector Diptimayee Behera said that an approach road to the bridge has also been built with a parking lot.
Dhabaleswar temple is located on an island of the Mahanadi and it remained out of bounds for devotees after the temporary wooden bridge was washed away following a surge in the water of the Mahanadi on June 30.
Earlier, devotees either took boat rides or tread on the suspension bridge constructed in 2006. The suspension bridge was closed to the public after cracks were detected by an expert team.
