Nine old risky bridges in Bhuapur
Nine bridges on the Elenga-Bhuapur road in the district are in dilapidated state due to lack of renovation for long.
The bridges are in Rajabari, Shampur, Phultala, Soya, Tatihara, Narandia, Singuria, Kagmaripara, and Shialkhola areas in Kalihati and Bhuapur upazilas.
The bridges in Shampur, Narandia and Singuria areas are the most vulnerable and Bailey bridges have been set up on them, but those have also become unusable and may collapse at any moment. The authorities sometimes repair the shaky Bailey bridges, but only temporarily, transport workers said.
The bridges in Phultala, Rouha and Rajabari areas are also vulnerable and collapsed several times after being repaired, they said, adding that vehicular movement is suspended on the busy road when a bridge partially collapses, causing immense suffering to the thousands of passengers.
While visiting the road recently, this correspondent saw that nine of the 12 bridges from Elenga to Bhuapur are old and in bad condition. Vehicles run over these bridges amid risk of accidents.
During the Liberation War, freedom fighters damaged half of Singuria bridge in Bhuapur upazila to snap road link between Tangail and Bhuapur.
After liberation, the authorities concerned repaired the bridge by setting up a Bailey bridge on top of the damaged portion. The bridge is now awfully dilapidated as steel slabs are badly damaged and the railing on one side is broken.
"I feel scared when buses cross the bridges," said trader Shah Alam Miah of Bhuapur, a regular commuter on the road.
Some vehicles fell from the bridge in the last few years, killing several people and injuring many others, said retired school teacher Azizur Rahman of Singuria village.
Jahangir Hossain, driver of a passenger bus on Tangail-Bhuapur Road, said the bridges were built before the Liberation War and they need immediate repair.
Drivers cross the bridges with passenger-laden buses and goods-laden trucks, including fertiliser-laden trucks from Tarakandi, every day, taking risk of life, he added.
Locals said officials of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) examined the nine bridges several times, but no step has been taken yet to repair or renovate them properly.
Kalihati Upazila Parishad Chairman Mojaharul Islam Talukder Thandu said people who use the road can understand how risky the bridges are.
District Executive Engineer of RHD Noor-e-Alam said a project of Tk 118 crore to reconstruct 10 bridges and one culvert and develop a 22-kilometre-long road has been sent to the Planning Commission for approval.
The commission sent the development project proposal (DPP) back to RHD for verification of the authenticity of the project and making designs of the bridges, he said. "The verification and the designing have been completed," he added.
Later, the commission directed RHD to make designs of the approach roads, he said.
"We hope that we can send the DPP to the Planning Commission in one month after completion of the designing of the approach roads," he added.
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