Bailey bridge deck sinks again
Road communication on Lalmonirhat-Burimari route was disrupted again yesterday as the steel deck of the Bailey bridge over the Swarnamoti river in Aditmari upazila of the district sagged when an overloaded truck with stones was crossing it.
The bridge at Sarpukur village had been repaired on Monday after it was damaged on Sunday.
Over 100 vehicles, mostly trucks loaded with goods, were stranded on both sides of the bridge.
Truck driver Mobarak Hossain said the steel deck of the bridge sagged while his truck was going over it. “I was going from Burimari land port to Bogra,” he said, adding that he was trying to bring the truck down from the spot.
Driver Ali Hossain said the bridge serves as connection between Lalmonirhat and Burimari land port. “We don't know when the bridge will be repaired to restore road communication,” he added.
Bus driver Noor Jamal Miah said he had been waiting beside the bridge since noon and did not know when he would reach his destination.
“The bridge had been vulnerable for the last one year, and it is risky to drive vehicles over it,” said truck driver Ramkanto Roy. “We pray when we get on the bridge, but we are forced to use it as there is no alternative way to go to Burimari land port,” he added.
Officials of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Lalmonirhat said due to construction of a new bridge over the Swarnamoti, a Bailey bridge was erected beside it to maintain road communication on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari route. Over 1,000 vehicles, mostly trucks, cross the bridge every day.
Executive Engineer Sajedur Rahman of RHD said the bridge became weak due to plying of overloaded vehicles over it. RHD officials posted notices prohibiting vehicles weighing over 15 tonnes from crossing the bridge, but no one cared, he added. “RHD personnel have gone to the spot and started repairing the bridge,” Sajedur said.
Officer-in-Charge of Aditmari Police Station Horeshwar Roy said police were deployed on the spot to control the traffic.
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