Date:17/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/17/stories/2008081755350600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Railway overbridge causes problems for trucks

Special Correspondent

It restricts height of cargo in lorries trying to pass below

Barricade to prevent lorries with oversized cargo is broken
Accidents frequently take place at the spot, say local people

Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

Halted: A heavily-laden lorry unable to move under the rail overbridge near Sankagiri railway station. —

SANKAGIRI: The rail overbridge near the Sankagiri Railway Station has been posing a problem to truck drivers who go to Erode from Sankagiri.

The bridge over which the Salem-Erode broad gauge rail line is going allows restricted height of cargo in lorries.

A board carrying the warning by the Railway and police authorities has been erected some 20 metres away from the bridge.

Also, the barricade to prevent the vehicles with heavy loads using the bridge is found broken.

And accidents take place frequently at the place.

People here say that three months ago a granite laden lorry hit the bridge, dislocating the ballast of the track.

“Even the track’s alignment had been disturbed. We informed the Railway authorities who stopped all the trains.

“After attending to the repair works, traffic was restored. Otherwise major accident would have taken place,” they added.