Patna: In a significant stride toward modernising its infrastructure oversight, Bihar has become the first state in India to formally implement a dedicated Bridge Maintenance Policy, aimed at improving safety and extending the life of thousands of bridges across the state.
The new policy, officially titled the Bihar State Bridge Management and Maintenance Policy 2025, was approved by the state cabinet on June 3 and will rely on advanced technologies such as drone surveillance, sensor-based diagnostics, and non-destructive testing to inspect bridge conditions.
Announcing the initiative, Road Construction Minister Nitin Nabin said the move represents a shift toward data-driven infrastructure governance. “We have done substantial work in road and bridge construction in recent years, which has directly boosted the state’s economy,” Naveen said, adding that Patna is now reachable from any part of the state within five hours.
The policy is set to cover 3,968 bridges, including 532 mega and major structures, built in recent years. Under the plan, a Bridge Health Index and Maintenance Priority Index will be created for each bridge based on inspection data. The maintenance work will be divided into seven categories ranging from routine upkeep and minor repairs to extraordinary interventions following natural disasters or structural distress.
Bridges longer than 60 metres will fall under the care of the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation, while smaller structures will be managed by the relevant district-level Path Divisions.
For bridges over 250 metres in length, IIT Delhi and IIT Patna have been commissioned to conduct independent safety audits. IIT Delhi for bridges in North Bihar and IIT Patna for those in the southern region. The total consultancy cost for the audits has been set at Rs 16.61 crore.
