Bhagalpur/Patna: Traffic on one lane of Vikramshila Setu is expected to resume within 25 days, according to Bihar’s Road Construction Minister Kumar Shailendra, following emergency repair plans finalised after a section of the bridge collapsed earlier this month.
Officials from the Border Roads Organisation informed Minister Kumar Shailendra during a review meeting in Bhagalpur on Thursday that restoration work would begin on May 16.
According to officials:
- repair work on the damaged 34-metre section is expected to take 10 days
- additional work on bridge spans above the pillars will continue for another 15 days
Authorities said traffic movement on one lane could resume after completion of the restoration work.
Minister Orders ‘Health Cards’ For Bridges
During the meeting, the minister directed officials to prepare “health cards” for all bridges in Bihar containing comprehensive structural and maintenance details.
Shailendra said the state government was expanding:
- four-lane roads
- expressways
- flyovers
- bridge infrastructure
with the broader objective of enabling travel from any part of Bihar to Patna within three-and-a-half hours.
He also instructed officials that there should be “no compromise” on construction quality.
According to the minister:
- an independent 12-member IIT inspection team will monitor quality standards
- the team will function directly under ministerial supervision
Bridge Section Collapsed Into Ganges
A portion of the Vikramshila Setu collapsed into the Ganges River around midnight on May 3.
Officials said a section of the bridge had begun subsiding shortly before the concrete slab gave way.
Vehicular movement had been halted immediately after signs of structural instability were detected, preventing what authorities described as a potential major disaster.
Connectivity Severely Affected
The damage has significantly disrupted connectivity between:
- North Bihar districts
- eastern Bihar regions including Bhagalpur
Authorities said lakhs of residents and commuters had been affected by the closure.
To manage the disruption:
- ferry services have been introduced across the Ganges
- additional railway services have been started
- heavy vehicles are being diverted through alternative routes
IIT Patna Conducts Safety Audit
Following the incident, experts from Indian Institute of Technology Patna carried out a safety audit of the bridge.
According to officials, the audit identified widening cracks in the expansion joints of the structure.
The Vikramshila Setu was originally built in 2001 and underwent maintenance work in 2017. However, officials acknowledged that further repairs had remained pending.
The bridge is considered a crucial transport link in the region, carrying thousands of vehicles daily across the Ganges.
A parallel bridge is also under construction nearby, though authorities said it would take several more months before becoming operational.
