Bettiah (Bihar) [India], June 9 : A part of a bridge over the Dhanauti River in Majhaulia, Bettiah in Bihar, has collapsed, bringing all traffic across it to a complete halt.
The Rural Works Department of the Bettiah Division arrived at the spot on Tuesday and put up barricades, allowing no vehicles to pass through the affected bridge.
Located in the Lal Saraiya Panchayat, this bridge connected Bakharia to Karamwa. It is a key bridge connecting about a dozen panchayats.
Akash Kumar, Technical Supervisor in Rural Works Department, told ANI, "This is a 35 to 40-year-old bridge. We have put up a 'caution' board and barricades; no vehicles are allowed to travel through the bridge. The public is facing trouble, and we have to resolve this."
A local resident claimed, "The bridge began to collapse a month ago. A bike and a woman fell from the bridge. We are facing trouble, and our business has stopped."
Earlier in May, a separation gap appeared in the Bisunpur-Mangalpur Gandak Bridge near the Bettiah-Gopalganj border area.
In a similar incident on May 3, a slab between two pillars of the Vikramshila Setu, which connects the Purvanchal region with Seemanchal across the Ganga river, collapsed. Following the incident, traffic was halted, and routes were diverted.
According to reports, a 10-inch expansion joint first subsided, after which a slab near pier number 133 gave way and fell into the river. The bridge was a key link between Bhagalpur and Seemanchal.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary had inspected the Bailey bridge constructed on the Bhagalpur's Vikramshila Setu and said temporary arrangements would remain in place until the bridge becomes fully operational by November 30.
Speaking to reporters, Choudhary said the government would ensure free transportation for commuters between both sides until full functionality of the bridge is restored.