This story is from August 04, 2017
100 bridges on the verge of collapse, need urgent attention: Gadkari
NEW DELHI: Over 100 bridges on national highways are on the verge of collapse and need immediate attention, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. His ministry has completed safety audit of 1.6 lakh bridges in the country and found 140 structures in dilapidated condition, which need urgent repairs.
During question hour Gadkari said, “Hundred bridges can collapse any time and they need immediate attention.” He also referred to a last year’s tragedy in Maharashtra last year where two state-run buses and some private vehicles were swept away after a British-era bridge over the Savitri river in the Konkan region.
“We have drawn up a plan to fix them... The weakest would be taken up first,” the minister said.
TOI had on June 4 first reported how 23 bridges and tunnels on NHs are over 100 years old and 17 of this require rehabilitation or major maintenance. The audit carried out by Indian Bridge Management System project, which surveyed the “health of bridges“ has found that 6,000 bridges are structurally “distressed”.
The first such survey has found there are about 1.6 lakh structures, including culverts, minor and major bridges, and flyovers on India’s NH network. “This is aimed at creating database for future planning, monitoring and prioritization of bridges for maintaining bridges on National Highways network for safe and smooth movement of traffic,” the government said.
Gadkari also said road projects worth Rs 3.85 lakh crore were delayed due to various reasons in the past and most of these issues were resolved and their works are in progress.
“We have drawn up a plan to fix them... The weakest would be taken up first,” the minister said.
TOI had on June 4 first reported how 23 bridges and tunnels on NHs are over 100 years old and 17 of this require rehabilitation or major maintenance. The audit carried out by Indian Bridge Management System project, which surveyed the “health of bridges“ has found that 6,000 bridges are structurally “distressed”.
Gadkari also said road projects worth Rs 3.85 lakh crore were delayed due to various reasons in the past and most of these issues were resolved and their works are in progress.
Top Comment
Jagdish Madan
2482 days ago
India finally has a functioning government that works for Indians and not just one family.Read allPost comment
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