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Bihar, June 25: In a shocking incident, another bridge in Bihar has collapsed, leading to a complete halt in traffic on the Kishanganj-Siliguri-Araria corridor. The Major Bridge located at CH 24+461 suffered an unexpected settlement of approximately 600 mm on June 23 afternoon at the pile foundation beneath pier P3. This incident occurred even before the bridge had been put into use, with the superstructure completed in May 2023. Thankfully, no casualties or injuries were reported among the construction workers.
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Preliminary examinations have revealed that the Mechi River, on which the bridge is built, experienced a significant surge in water flow from Nepal. Initial investigations indicate that the P2-P3-P4 spans were utilized to redirect the entire river during construction, resulting in restricted water flow and excessive scouring of the sandy river bottom. These factors are believed to have contributed to the settlement of the pile foundation at pier P3.
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To prevent any further movement in the pile foundation at P3, a team consisting of NHAI officers, the concessionaire, and an independent engineer arrived at the scene and commenced the necessary preliminary correction work. As a precautionary measure and to avoid interference with the ongoing investigation, the Team Leader & Bridge Engineer of Independent Engineer from M/s Chaitanya Project Consultancy Pvt. Ltd., and the Sr. Project Manager & Dy. Project Manager (Structure) of Concessionaire from M/s GR Galgalia Bahadurganj Highway Private Limited, have been immediately suspended.
Additionally, a committee of experts has been constituted to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident and determine the cause of the settlement of the pile foundation at pier P3 on the Major Bridge at CH 24+461. The committee comprises A. K. Shrivastava, ADG (Retd) from MoRTH, S. K. Sharma, Pr. Tech. Officer – Bridges (Retd.) from CRRI, and Venkatram P. G. from M/s L&T Infrastructure Engineering Limited. They are scheduled to visit the site today and recommend appropriate remedial measures.
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It is worth noting that the construction contract for the Galgalia-Bahadurganj project, including the affected bridge, was awarded to M/s GR Infra Projects Highway Ltd. The project, aimed at constructing a 49 km stretch of 4-lane road, was scheduled to start on January 10, 2022, and is currently approximately 70% complete. The authorities are actively working to address the situation and ensure the safety and timely completion of the project.
