Communication snapped as bridge approach road washed away

The approach road on the eastern side of Boro Basalia bridge on the Louhajang river in Tangail Sadar upazila was washed away on Sunday morning due to strong current in the river during the ongoing flood.

Consequently, road communication between parts of Sadar and Kalihati upazilas

through the Kuizbari-Boro Basalia-Mirpur road snapped. 

Locals said water level in the Louhajang river, a branch of the mighty Jamuna, was rising for the last few days, creating huge current in the river.  

Soil from the east side approach of the bridge started moving away around 7:00am and a large portion got washed away by 10:00am, said Abdul Motaleb of Boro Basalia village. 

Local Government and Engineering Department completed construction of the 99-metre-long bridge in 2016 for facilitating internal road communication in the area and local lawmaker Sanoar Hossain inaugurated the bridge in December that year.

Locals alleged that low quality works were done during construction of the approach roads while influential quarters extracted sand illegally from near the bridge for the last couple of years, threatening the bridge.

A portion of the east side approach was also damaged and several dwelling houses were devoured by the river during the last year's flood, they added. 

Contacted, Mohammad Hedayetullah, upazila engineer of LGED in Tangail Sadar, told The Daily Star, "The approach road of the bridge got washed away due to pressure of floodwater. I visited the spot on Sunday and informed the higher authorities. Necessary measures will be taken in a short time."

Mentionable, two important bridges in Basail upazila and another in Nagarpur upazila were damaged in the district by the devastating flood in the last ten days, disrupting local road communication.