Majerhat: The state government is considering a proposal to have a pair of Bailey bridges stand in for the collapsed portion of the Majerhat bridge till all the proposed alternative roads are ready.

An engineer in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation said after a joint inspection with the PWD, Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority and the Calcutta Port Trust that the twin bridges would cover a span of 42 metres and have a width of 4.2 metres each.

The army has apparently told the government that it would need just a week to put up the structures in the gap between both ends of the bridge.

"The army has a ready stock of 25 Bailey bridges meant for use in Nepal. They can send two to Majerhat," a senior government official said. "The modalities are being worked out. Hopefully, a decision will be taken shortly."

Developed by the British during World War II, a Bailey bridge is a portable, pre-fabricated structure with a modular assembly. For years, these bridges have remained the most preferred option for the army in filling connectivity gaps, especially in remote areas.

"The biggest success of the army in civil work in recent times has been constructing a Bailey bridge at the Elphinstone Road railway station (renamed as Prabhadevi) in Mumbai. This bridge connects the northern end of Parel to the flower market lane on the side of the station," said a former officer of the Border Roads Organisation.

Sources in the army's Eastern Command said that Major General A.K. Sanyal, the general officer commanding of the Bengal sub area, and a few other senior officers had met chief secretary Malay De and some colleagues at Nabanna on September 7. Officially, the army said the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss the Majerhat bridge.