Bridge caves in near Mangalore, traffic hit

MANGALORE: Traffic snarls on NH 66, which connects Karnataka and Kerala, were witnessed through out the day, as the embankment on southern end of Netravathi (Ullal) Bridge caved in jeopardising the safety of a kilometrelong bridge on Friday. The embankment located close to the new bridge, where dredging work was being carried out caved in, but a concrete slab on the upper portion remained free from any damage.
In order to prevent further deterioration to bridge's stability, only oneway traffic was allowed on the bridge. The restrictions on movement of vehicles on NH 66 resulted in frequent traffic congestions throughout the day.To ease the same, police diverted trucks and heavy vehicles at Mahaveer circle (pump well) and Thokkottu circle on National Highway 17 (66).