'Risky bridge' since 2003 but no step yet for repair

Life of Swarnamoti bridge, the lone link to Burimari land port, expired 13 years ago

24 March 2009, 18:00 PM

S Dilip Roy, Lalmonirhat

The worn-out bridge over the Swarnamoti river in Aditmari upazila on the Lalmonirhat- Burimari highway has become risky for people and vehicles as it may collapse any moment. Everyday, over 3,000 vehicles including loaded trucks and passenger buses cross Swarnamoti bridge amid fear of accident. The bridge connects Lalmonirhat district headquarters with four other upazilas. In case the bridge collapses, communication of Lalmonirhat with those upazilas will be snapped. The import-export through Burimari land port under Patgram upazila will also come to a halt as Lalmonir-hat- Burimari highway is the lone road to connect the land port with other parts of the country. Although the life of the bridge expired 13 years ago there was no renovation work due to lack of required funds. Swarnamoti bridge was built in 1998. Lalmonirhat Roads and Highways Department (RHD) made several moves to fully renovate the bridge but their bids failed due to fund constraint, sources said. In 2003 last, the Lalmonir-hat RHD hung signboards warning--- “Risky bridge, go slow”on both sides of the bridge. The signboards were recently replaced for third time as the bridge still remains in a vulnerable state. In the 1998-'99 fiscal year, the RHD repaired one of four spans of the bridge and in the current fiscal year they made a partial renovation just to ensure movement of vehicles, RHD sources said. A deputy assistant engineer of Lalmonirhat RHD said they recently sent a proposal with an estimated cost of Tk 5 crore to build a 93.02-metre long and 7.50-metre wide new bridge replacing the vulnerable one to the authorities concerned but yet to get any response. Truck diver Mansur Ali from Dhaka told this correspondent that he comes to Burimari land port regularly. He said he prays to Almighty for safety every time he crosses the Swarnamoti bridge. Locals alleged they demanded construction of a new bridge replacing the risky bridge four years ago but their demand went unheeded. The people of four other upazilas will undergo untold sufferings and the government development work is likely to be suspended if the bridge collapses anytime, they pointed out. The executive engineer of Lalmonirhat RHD Chandon Kumar Bosak told this correspondent that his office had sent a project profile for the fourth time to the ministry, but to no effect. He also observed that the bridge may collapse anytime as the life of the 53-year-old bridge expired 13 years ago.