Patna/Bhagalpur, June 11: Bihar is facing a complete collapse in connectivity between its northern and southern parts over river Ganga.

There are four bridges over the Ganga in Bihar but none is in a condition to allow full-fledged movement of traffic.

The gravity of the situation came into perspective today following the collapse of one of the spans of the dilapidated Mahatma Gandhi Setu in Patna.

Vikramshila bridge in Bhagalpur, the only fully functional bridge over the Ganga in the state, is also scheduled to undergo major repairs within a few weeks because of damage in its structure.

Rajendra Setu, the road-cum-road bridge over the Ganga in Mokama has been allowing only one-way traffic movement for the past year-and-a-half owing to repair. Similar restricted traffic movement is allowed on Veer Kunwar Singh bridge, which provides connectivity between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh over Ganga.

Heavy vehicles, including trucks, are not allowed on both bridges owing to damage in their structures.

A status update on the condition of the bridges in Bihar presented a grim picture.

VIKRAMSHILA BRIDGE

The bridge, which took the burden of the majority of the traffic volume of heavy vehicles going north to south Bihar and vice-versa would undergo major repair works within a few weeks.

Sources claimed that the ball bearings and shock absorbers of the bridge were damaged, which resulted in the increase in the space between the expansion joints.

An officer of the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited, preferring anonymity, admitted that the bridge was in a precarious condition because of prolonged negligence. "If adequate steps are not be taken immediately, this bridge would also be rendered unfit for traffic soon," he claimed.

The official added that the bidding process was underway for repair and maintenance of the bridge at an estimated outlay of Rs 13.5 crore.

Former chief minister Rabri Devi inaugurated the Vikramshila road bridge over the Ganga on June 30, 2001. Earlier, her husband, former chief minister Lalu Prasad had laid the foundation stone of the bridge in 1991 at an estimated outlay of Rs 167.58 crore.

The 4.5km long and 30m wide bridge has been playing an important role after all other bridges across the Ganga in Bihar have been rendered defunct owing to the plying of heavy vehicles. It connects two important highways, National Highway 80 in the southern part with National Highway 31 in the north. Goods vehicles not only from Bihar but from many other states take the route of this bridge to reach states in north-eastern and eastern parts of the country.

The flow of traffic increased furthermore on this bridge following the opening of Baba Bisu Rout bridge across river Kosi in Bhagalpur in 2015. Heavy flow of traffic has, however, resulted in damage of the bridge.

"One can spot the gaps easily and feel how the heavy vehicles jump on the bridge because of the increase in the gaps at the expansion joints," said Mohammad Mister, the owner of a travel agency in Bhagalpur.

The dilapidated condition of the bridge has also resulted in frequent mishaps.

"This bridge becomes the sorrow of Bhagalpur as the maximum number of accidents have started taking place on it because of the problems," said Arun Yadav, a truck driver in Naugachia.

RAJENDRA SETU

The bridge near Hathidah, around 100km east of Patna, is under repair from December 1, 2014. The state government gave its approval to the railways' proposal to make the 57-year-old road-cum-rail bridge one-way to carry out repair work on the road part.

Vehicles are allowed to move from one end for a certain period of time, when traffic from the other side remains blocked. This system is undertaken from either side on a rotational basis.

Sources in the road construction department said repair work was scheduled for completion by June 15 this year but it has been delayed. "The repair work got delayed because of several reasons, including callousness by contractors and short supply of sand, earlier this year," said a senior official in the road construction department.

The 2km bridge has a double-lane road and single railway track. The country's first President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated it in 1957. The bridge was the only lifeline connecting south and north Bihar till 1982, when Mahatma Gandhi Setu in Patna was opened to traffic.

VEER KUNWAR SINGH BRIDGE

The bridge connecting Buxar with Ballia in Uttar Pradesh was closed for heavy vehicles for the past year-and-a-half because of damage in its structure. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had built the 3km-long bridge.

Buxar district magistrate Raman Kumar said the NHAI had informed the district administration that it would commence the repair work on the bridge only after development of another two-lane bridge parallel to it.

"Movement of heavy vehicles was stopped on Veer Kunwar Singh Bridge around a year-and-a-half ago upon request from the NHAI. It has informed us that it would start repair works on this bridge following the development of a two-lane bridge parallel to it over the river Ganga. The new bridge is being constructed as part of the four-laning of National Highway 84 from Patna to Buxar," said Raman.

Prior to the construction of this bridge, people from Ballia had to go to Varanasi and then take a train to reach Buxar though the two districts are separated only by the Ganga.