Bhagalpur (Bihar), June 7 (IANS) A month after a portion of the ‘Vikramshila Setu’ collapsed in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district, a Bailey bridge, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), was inaugurated on Sunday to restore the connectivity in the area.

After the inauguration of the bridge, Bihar Minister Kumar Shailendra expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

Talking to IANS, the minister said: “The Chief Minister spoke to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and fulfilled the commitment made to the public. Our BRO team, the district administration, and the public worked in coordination and provided full support for this project.”

“These people worked in challenging circumstances to complete the project at the earliest,” he added.

Chief of Project, BRO, Brigadier Amit Sakhre said: “On May 3, one span of the bridge on Vikramshila Setu collapsed, and the other three spans were also damaged. The immediate restoration of connectivity was entrusted to BRO. Taking swift action, our recce and planning teams were mobilised here on May 6. They visited the site and analysed the entire structure of the bridge to decide which bridge would be launched.”

Mentioning that the construction work of the first bridge began on May 16, he said: “Within 20 days, around four bridges have been launched here. This was a special effort given the sweltering heat in the region.”

Sakhre hoped that the bridge would serve as a relief for the locals who had been facing difficulties since the collapse of the Vikramshila Setu.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vikas Kumar said that traffic movement on the bridge will begin from today itself.

“The phase when locals faced difficulties during this period, including travelling by boat and other hardships, has now come to an end,” the SDM told IANS.

He highlighted that despite the increased number of boat operations during this period, no untoward incident has taken place.

He cautioned that certain difficulties may crop up initially after vehicular movement begins on the newly constructed Bailey bridge. “I request the public to cooperate with the administration,” he said.

According to Superintending Engineer, BRO, Vipin Kumar Chand, the entire system, “from top to bottom”, worked together effectively in order to complete the construction at the earliest.

Chand mentioned that during the course of the bridge construction, the public never pressured the BRO personnel. “They kept faith and patience,” he said.

DSP, Traffic, Sanjay Kumar appealed to the public to have patience while crossing the bridge and drive sensibly so that no inconvenience occurs.

“This will also help us in smooth traffic management. We request the public that even if there is a delay of five or ten minutes, they should remain patient and follow the guidelines and instructions issued,” he told IANS.

–IANS

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