The West Bengal PWD has identified seven bridges in the city as ‘most vulnerable’ after the collapse of Majerhat Bridge on September 4, 2018. In the mishap, three persons were killed and 24 were injured. The seven bridges have also been named and urgent repairs have been recommended. A senior PWD official said that the load-bearing capacities of the bridges were carried out and based on the report, police have been suggested to impose restrictions on good-carrying vehicles so as to prevent further deterioration of the ‘distressed structures’. The Kolkata police banned the movement of goods vehicles on the first four bridges but is still exploring the possibility of doing the same for the remaining three bridges. However, the PWD official said that heavy vehicles are still moving across the bridges at night which causes traffic and due to which the trucks are stranded, which may lead to another mishap.
SA detailed budget, a plan for repair work and inspection of the remaining bridges is being carried out by the PWD. Inspection is being carried out to test the load-bearing capacity of bridges, so that a decision can be taken on the type of vehicles whose movements may be restricted. Talking of the Santragachhi bridge, the official said that there is a need to ascertain the extent of damage caused to the bridge, hence a survey has to be conducted. He added that he poor condition of the bridge was a cause of worry. A separate plan for this bridge has been proposed to be made due to the fact that it requires urgent repair and that it is used by hundreds of trucks. The official while highlighting about the Seldah Bridge, which is a crucial one in the city said that before starting the reconstruction, government has been working on options so as to shift the shopkeepers to some other place.
The PWD official also bought into light the issue of budget and said that the restoration would amount to several crores and the state government will float a tender in a short time, after estimating the costs. He further lamented over the fact that people have forgotten that the bridges have a shelf life and require regular monitoring, auditing and maintenance and thus, this has lead to distressed structures in the state.
Courtesy/By: Kritika Mehandiratta
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15 Sep 2018
