A section of Patna's newly inaugurated double-decker flyover sank on Sunday following days of incessant rainfall, raising serious safety and quality concerns about the Rs 422-crore infrastructure project.

The flyover, which was unveiled by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on June 11, 2025, is the city's first direction-based two-lane elevated corridor, constructed to ease congestion along the busy Ashok Rajpath stretch. Spanning 2.2 kilometres from Kargil Chowk at Gandhi Maidan to Science College via Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), the project was executed by Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited and took over three years to complete.

On Sunday, a video shared by news agency ANI showed a crater-like crevice on one portion of the upper deck. The incident comes barely two months after the structure's ceremonial inauguration, held months ahead of Bihar’s Assembly elections.

Chief minister Kumar had said the flyover will give a new direction to the capital’s connectivity.

“The traffic problems on Ashok Rajpath will be completely resolved, and Patna’s traffic system will become much smoother. Patients and their families going to Patna Medical College and Hospital will find commuting much more convenient. This flyover will give a new direction to Patna’s urban landscape and connectivity,” he had said.

The flyover was constructed by the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited. It features two levels—an upper deck stretching 2,175.5 metres from Gandhi Maidan to Science College and a lower deck measuring 1,449.3 metres from Patna College to BN College. Both decks, each 8.5 metres wide, are intended to streamline traffic around PMCH.

The collapse occurred as Patna grappled with severe urban flooding caused by heavy rainfall over the past few days. Areas such as Kankarbagh, Rajendra Nagar, Exhibition Road, and Gandhi Maidan were waterlogged, with homes, hospitals, and schools inundated, and sewage overflowing in several parts.

The deluge has highlighted the city's inadequate drainage system, with the impact visible on crucial infrastructure, including the newly built flyover.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court rebuked the Bihar government over repeated bridge collapses. A bench noted that officials suspended after such incidents were reinstated later, questioning the seriousness of the disciplinary process.

In response, the Nitish Kumar-led government last month launched the Bihar State Bridge Maintenance Policy 2025, which it claims is the first of its kind in India. The policy mandates systematic auditing and upkeep of bridges, and the government has roped in IIT Delhi and IIT Patna to inspect 85 major bridges across the state.