A superstructure of the Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat Bridge collapsed.

A superstructure of the Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat Bridge collapsed.

Patna, August 17: A section of the superstructure (Iron Angle) of the four-lane Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat Road Bridges collapsed in the Ganga River on Saturday morning.

Although no one was injured in this incident, this incident has exposed once again the quality of construction and alignment of the bridge project.

Eyewitnesses present at the project site captured the video of the superstructure collapse and shared it on social networking platforms.

Following the collapse, the construction company responsible for the project has not yet provided any clarification regarding this incident.

This bridge is one of the dream projects of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was intended to connect Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district with Aguwani Ghat located in Parbatta block in Khagaria district, facilitating direct access to commuters to travel from Bhagalpur to Jharkhand directly via Khagaria. It was also expected to alleviate traffic congestion on Vikramshila Bridge.

This was the third time when this bridge or its superstructure collapsed. Earlier on June 4, 2023, a section of the bridge from the Khagaria side between pillars number 10 and 12 collapsed in the Ganga River. This led to widespread criticism of the Bihar government.

In response, the Bihar government imposed a penalty on the construction company S K Singla Construction Private Ltd and mandated that the bridge be rebuilt at its own cost.
Besides, another section of the superstructure of the bridge from the Bhagalpur side collapsed on June 30, 2022. At that time, the superstructure between pillars numbers 5 and 6 fell into the river.

On Saturday, the superstructure was made of iron angles, which plunged into the Ganga River. Experts believe that misalignment of the structure causes these collapses.

The foundation stone of the 3.160 km bridge was laid on February 23, 2014, and the construction began on March 9, 2015. The Bihar government allocated funds of Rs 1710 crore to the project. Despite this, after 9 years, this bridge remains incomplete.

The road construction department of the Bihar government has constructed a 16 KM approach road from the Khagaria side and 4 KM from the Bhagalpur side, but the main structure of the bridge remains unfinished. This long delay, combined with the repeated structure failures, has cast a shadow over the project execution and the quality of work involved.

The repeated failures are not only a significant setback to development in the region but also a major concern for public safety and the effective use of public funds.

Also Read: 17 engineers suspended for multiple bridge collapses in Bihar.

This situation underscores the need for stringent oversight in infrastructure projects to ensure the use of high-quality materials and adherence to proper construction standards.
The repeated failures of this bridge not only pose a risk to public safety but also undermine the trust in public infrastructure projects.

EOM.