The Damodar bridge in Bokaro. (Pankaj Singh)

Bokaro, April 8: A Rs 2.75- crore bridge over river Damodar connects Bokaro with Chandrapura industrial township, but is useless since the approach road from the steel city is in a shambles.

As a result, commuters have to take a detour of 32km, via Lohpatti in Dhanbad district, to reach Chandrapura. The bridge, built in 2004, would have reduced the distance to 6km.

Those who still want to use the bridge have to walk through 2km of mud tracks.

After Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar, then chief minister Babulal Marandi had announced the construction of the Chandrapura bridge on the Damodar. The foundation stone was laid in 2002 and the 400m bridge was completed in record time.

It was inaugurated in 2004 by then chief minister Arjun Munda, who instructed PWD officials and the district administration to ensure construction of approach roads from both Chandrapura and Bokaro sides within six months.

In 2008, Damodar Valley Corporation and Central Coalfield Limited took the initiative to build the approach road at Chandrapura. But a similar stretch on the other side is yet to see light of day.

“A road built by Bokaro steel plant about 20 years ago already exists till Sector IX. All the administration has to do is complete the portion passing through Rani Pokhar, Baidmara and Basteji villages,” said JMM leader Mantu Yadav.

Bokaro MLA Samresh Singh said as a minister in the Marandi cabinet he was instrumental in getting the bridge built. But today, he was unhappy that the approach road, which should have been completed years ago, was still not ready.

Bokaro deputy commissioner Satyendra Singh, however, promised that the road would be built in a few months. “The final approval has already been given,” he claimed.