The long awaited opening of Kusmalli Bridge on the Belagavi–Goa Road via Chorla has been pushed back by several days because backfilling on the Jamboti side remains unfinished. Continuous downpours across the Jamboti–Kankumbi stretch have made it impossible to place the granular sub base (GSB) material required to complete the approach ramp.

National Highways Executive Engineer Rajendra and a team of officials inspected the site on Wednesday. He confirmed that the bridge structure itself is finished, but the protective walls and ramp backfill still need attention. “If the rain eases, we can complete the work in two to three days and reopen the route to light vehicles,” he said.

With the Malaprabha River running high, authorities have instructed contractors to observe strict safety procedures and install additional barriers to protect workers and motorists until conditions improve.