Overview
- Officials ran a supervised dynamic load test on the 91-foot, 10-foot-wide foot overbridge by having more than 300 security guards first walk and then jump in unison while Bridge Corporation and PWD engineers monitored the structure.
- Engineers inspected bolts, joints and signs of corrosion during and after the exercise and reported no structural defects, clearing the bridge for use during the festival.
- The Bridge Corporation recommended a maximum of 300 devotees on the bridge at one time and earmarked half the width for entry and half for exit to manage movement.
- Video of the 10-minute test circulated widely and prompted questions online about the testing method even as local authorities said the exercise helped shape crowd-control plans.
- Built in 2022 with donor support to link Vitthal Pandharinath area to the rooftop Nagchandreshwar shrine, the bridge will be used to move devotees during the temple's once-a-year 24-hour Nag Panchami opening and officials say it should improve crowd flow and safety.