The barrier (encircled) at the Champanala bridge approach in Bhagalpur and (above) the bridge under construction. Pictures by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, June 15: The journey from Bhagalpur to Patna has hit a roadblock after prohibition of movement of heavy vehicles across two bridges on the way to the state capital.

The Bhagalpur division of National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) has put barriers on the dilapidated Ghorghat bridge in Munger and Champanala bridge in Bhagalpur as a preventive measure to avoid mishaps because of plying of heavy vehicles. Both the bridges can no more shoulder the burden of heavy vehicles.

At least six dilapidated bridges across various rivers in eastern Bihar and Kosi region are highly vulnerable.

The closing down of the two bridges has thrown life out of gear for people in Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur and several other places.

“Rajendra Bridge across the Ganga was closed earlier. After the barriers were placed on the Ghorghat bridge, Munger remained cut-off from other parts of the state,” said Gopal Kumar, a resident of Munger.

Md Imtiyaz, a social worker in Munger, said people now had to travel an extra 150km to reach Bhagalpur.

Vehicles from Bhagalpur to Patna have been diverted to Amarpur-Jamui-Sheikhpura-Bakhirpur route, which is an additional 100km. All the vehicles from Kosi and Seemanchal regions, diverted through Bhagalpur after the Rajendra Bridge was shut down, now have to cover the additional distance.

“This shutdown has made life completely miserable, particularly during the marriage season. Supply of essential goods has stopped,” said Mahesh Agarwal, a businessman in Bhagalpur.

The Bhagalpur division of NHAI on Monday decided to put 3.01-metre-high barriers on both sides of Champanala bridge across river Champa, a tributary of river Ganga, which connects the eastern part of the region to Patna.

The barriers were installed to prevent movement of heavy vehicles on the busy bridge after a few slabs were found to be broken. Steel plates inside the concrete slabs show six- to eight-inch gap in the upper portion of the two pillars.

Built in 1955, the tenure of the bridge has expired, said Rakesh Kumar, executive engineer, NHAI, Bhagalpur division. According to Rakesh, the bridge is in no position to carry the load of heavy vehicles.

“Last year, the bridge was damaged. But after a repair it was reopened. Since heavy vehicles continued to ply through the bridge, it is again under serious threat,” he said.

The construction of a new link beside Champanala bridge that started in 2009, has not been completed because of the slow progress of work. The western side of the approach road to Champanala bridge is under threat of landslide because of increase in the river water-level.

Rajeev Ranjan Sinha, the contractor of the new bridge, said landslide was reported because of digging of soil for the fifth pillar of the new bridge. The guard wall on the side of the river to protect the approach road has been damaged too. Sinha said the work for pillar number 5 of the new bridge has been stopped because of the landslide.

During the last Assembly elections, Champanala bridge was the poll agenda of the Congress and the RJD.

The Bhagalpur division of NHAI also set up barriers on Ghorghat bridge across river Mani between Sultanganj and Bariarpur in Munger on Monday. But owners of heavy vehicles removed them last night and started plying vehicles across the bridge.

“The bridge lost the capacity to carry even 10-tonne load. Further vehicular movement would prove fatal,” R.K. Choudhury, the executive engineer of NHAI, said.

In 2003, a belly bridge replaced the damaged bridge here but because of poor maintenance and increase in traffic flow, the bridge lost its capacity to shoulder the load.