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Traffic restriction has been imposed on Gandhi Setu to save the 33-year-old bridge from complete collapse.
Two pillars — 34th and 35th — have tilted by 12 inches at least, prompting the road construction department to restrict vehicles on a part of the bridge’s eastern flank.
“Movement restrictions on this portion of bridge have been imposed as any load on this segment — between these two pillars — can lead to further tilting,” national highway division chief engineer Kedar Baitha said.
Baitha is a member of a committee drafted by the road construction department to suggest ways for restoring the bridge to its original shape. South Bihar chief engineer Bhavani Nandan and Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam managing director Ravi Shankar Prasad Singh are two other members of the committee.
The state government has set a 20-day deadline for this committee to submit recommendations.
The urgency on part of the state government is logical as Gandhi Setu is the lifeline that connects north Bihar districts with Patna. If movement on this bridge is stopped then life would become tough as people would have to take circuitous route for crossing the Ganga through existing Rajendra Bridge, around 100km east of Gandhi Setu. Moreover, Rajendra Bridge, constructed in 1954, is functioning with restrictions and heavy vehicles are not allowed to use it.
The 5.575-km Gandhi Setu, constructed in 1982, is already being used in a limited manner due to ongoing repair work on its western flank between 43rd and 46th pillars.
The western lane of the bridge was opened for traffic in 1982 and the eastern lane was opened in 1987. The need of repairing the bridge was first felt in 1991.
Tender for appointing a consultant to suggest measures were floated in 1993 and after getting permission from the centre a Delhi-based consultant was appointed in 1997. In a meeting held in 2000, the Centre directed the state to get the works done in two phases and submit separate proposals. Accordingly, the state submitted two separate proposals. While the Centre released funds of Rs 5.36 crore for the first phase, which was utilised between February 2002 and October 2003, it did not approve the Rs 23.79-crore proposal for the second phase.
Since 2004, Rs 180 crore has already been spent on maintenance of the bridge.
After a meeting with the Centre in January 2005, the state government submitted a Rs 52.54-crore proposal to the Centre but it was not approved. In February 2005, the Centre sent a two-member expert team and after that a proposal, made on the basis of the report of the team, of Rs 4.92 crore was sent and it was approved by the Centre.
The state sent another proposal in 2006-07 seeking Rs 19.71 crore but it was rejected. In 2007-08, another proposal of Rs 27.04 crore was sent to the Centre against which only Rs 18.04 crore was released.
Based on the report prepared by VK Raina, the state sent a Rs 167.13-crore proposal for comprehensive rehabilitation of the bridge but the Centre did not take it up.
The government has blamed the Centre for the current state of affairs and has also urged the eight Union ministers from Bihar to ask the Union government to take appropriate steps to solve the problem forever. “The Union ministers from Bihar must take this issue seriously and should extend all possible help so far as Gandhi Setu is concerned,” said road construction minister Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh.
On Monday, he announced that Gandhi Setu could be closed for use any day due to its poor condition.
About the technology used for constructing the bridge, an executive engineer of Bihar State Road Development Corporation Ltd said: “Gammon India has constructed the bridge using cantilever technology with hinge bearing and box girder. It has 45 intermediate spans of 121.065 metres each and one span of 65.530 metres on both sides. It is the only existing bridge in India on this technology. There was such a bridge over the Mandovi in Goa but collapsed long back. Two other bridges were constructed over the Zuari and the Borim in Goa but both have been closed.”
In July 2011, on the request of Nitish Kumar, who was chief minister then, the Centre had taken the responsibility to repair the damaged Gandhi Setu at a cost of Rs 800 crore. The state government took the work back from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in June 2012 and expressed their eagerness to complete the repairing. The state government, however, expressed its inability to take up the repair work in 2014.
On September 15, 2014, Union minister for road transport, highways and shipping, Nitin Gadkari said the Centre would undertake comprehensive repairing work of Gandhi Setu. On September 23, the NHAI refused to take up the repair claiming that it does not have the manpower for maintenance and an overhaul of the bridge.
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