The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, officially opened India's second-longest cable-stayed Sigandur bridge in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka. This bridge spans the Sharavathi backwaters between Ambaragodlu and Kalasavalli in Sagara taluk and has been constructed for Rs 472 crore.

Its purpose is to shorten the distance from Sagara town to the neighboring villages around Sigandur, which is famous for the Chowdeshwari temple.

The need for the bridge arose from residents’ requests, as they lost road access following the construction of the Linganmakki dam for power generation in the 1960s. Initially, residents had to use coracles to cross the river, but a tragic accident in which 21 individuals lost their lives due to a capsized boat in the backwaters led to an urgent plea for change. In response, officials began operating ferries through the Department of Ports and Inland Water Transport.

In recent years, the demand for a bridge intensified as the number of visitors to the Chowdeshwari temple in Sigandur continued to rise.

 

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The event was also attended by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, alongside Gadkari. 

However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his ministers were not present at the event. 

Siddaramaiah had requested Gadkari to delay the inauguration of the bridge and the laying of the foundation stone for infrastructure projects in Sagara taluk, Shivamogga, claiming he had not been notified in advance. 

 

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He mentioned his visit to Indi taluk in Vijayapura district and indicated it would have been more suitable for the ministry to consult the state government prior to scheduling such an event.