Vikramshila Bridge collapse: Bihar government announces alternative route and repair plan

Patna, May 4: The crucial Vikramshila Bridge, connecting Bhagalpur to north Bihar, collapsed late on Sunday night. Following the incident, the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation has recommended using the Sri Krishna Singh Bridge in Munger and the Ganga Bridge in Khagaria as alternative routes to connect south Bihar to north Bihar.

Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Chairman Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh informed during a press conference at the Auditorium of the Information Building on Monday that one of the spans of the Vikramshila Bridge has collapsed and will take around three months to repair. He also stated that traffic on the new bridge being constructed parallel to the Vikramshila Bridge is expected to resume by December this year.

Appreciating the prompt action by the Bhagalpur district administration, he said that if timely action had not been taken, the situation could have been more severe. He revealed that the Executive Engineer of the Bridge Construction Corporation has been suspended due to the immediate action. He acknowledged that there was heavy traffic pressure on the bridge and a recent inspection team from Patna had identified several technical flaws. IIT Patna will also be involved in the repair work.

As an alternative arrangement, vehicles heading to north Bihar have been advised to use the Sri Krishna Singh Bridge in Munger, and vehicles coming from north Bihar to Bhagalpur have been advised to use the Ganga Bridge in Khagaria. Currently, the plan to build a Peepa Bridge between Bhagalpur and Naugachhia has been postponed due to the monsoon. Meanwhile, preparations are underway to start a steamer service between Naugachhia and Bhagalpur.

Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh stated that as soon as the incident was reported, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary contacted Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and requested assistance from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), to which the Defense Minister assured all possible cooperation.

Notably, the incident occurred around 12:30 am on Sunday night when a portion near pillar number 133 started collapsing. Later, traffic was halted as a precaution, but shortly after, the part of the bridge collapsed.