The footbridge across the backwaters of the Netravathi that was being used by over 300 families in and around Ullal Hoige to reach Kochi-Panvel National Highway 66 near Netravathi bridge has remained broken for over four years. Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan visited the site for an inspection on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: file photo
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan took a boat ride on the Netravathi to inspect a broken footbridge connecting Ullal Hoige and Kochi-Panvel National Highway 66 across the backwaters on Wednesday.
Residents of Ward No. 54 of Mangaluru City Corporation, Ullal Hoige, made use of the footbridge to reach the highway near Netravathi bridge by foot after crossing the Mangaluru-Shoranur railway lines. The footpath and the footbridge served as the shortcut for pedestrians to reach the highway, who are now forced to take a detour of over 5 km to reach the highway near Thokkottu.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan and Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Ravi Chandra Naik travelled by a boat on the Netravathi to inspect a broken footbridge across its backwaters near Ullal Hoige in Mangaluru on Wednesday.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
As the metal footbridge remained broken for over four years, The Hindu had highlighted the plight of residents twice in these columns. More than 300 families reside in Ullal Hoige area and many of them depended upon the footbridge for their regular commute. They had urged the administration to either repair the broken structure or get a new one constructed.
Mr. Darshan took a boat along with MCC Commissioner Ravi Chandra Naik to visit the footbridge site. A decision on either restoration or reconstruction would be taken soon after obtaining technical opinion, the DC said.
Published – November 26, 2025 07:33 pm IST
