A recently inaugurated road overbridge in Bihar's Buxar district has been forced to close just 96 hours after opening to the public, following the development of significant structural faults. The ₹26.4 crore structure, a crucial link at the Itarhi Gumti railway crossing, had been awaited by local residents for over a decade.
The bridge, which took nearly 11 years to complete, saw its upper layer near Pier No. 5 subside shortly after its public debut. This immediate failure prompted authorities to suspend all vehicular movement and initiate urgent repair work, leaving local communities frustrated and questioning the integrity of the project.
Public Outcry and Calls for Investigation
The swift deterioration of the bridge has ignited strong reactions from residents across Buxar. Many have openly questioned the quality of construction, alleging widespread irregularities and corruption throughout the project's lifecycle. Locals emphasized that a structure built at such a substantial public expense should not exhibit such critical flaws within days of its inauguration.
Demands for a fair and thorough investigation into the matter are growing, with calls for accountability against those responsible for the substandard work. The incident has further eroded public confidence in government-funded infrastructure initiatives, a sentiment exacerbated by similar issues in other recent construction projects across Bihar.
Wider Implications for Infrastructure Quality
Local journalists and residents alike have highlighted the seriousness of the situation, pointing out the irony that a bridge people waited years for "could not even last 96 hours." This episode casts a shadow over the effectiveness of project monitoring mechanisms and the administrative oversight during construction.
As repair work is planned, traffic remains suspended on the overbridge. Public attention is now fixed on how quickly the structure can be safely restored and whether authorities will indeed order a comprehensive inquiry into the circumstances that led to this costly and embarrassing failure of the Bihar bridge.