Tangail-Tarakandi Road
Nine bridges in bad shape for lack of repair for long
Badly dilapidated Singuria Bridge without a railing on Tangail-Bhuapur road in Bhuapur upazila under Tangail district poses risk for vehicles.Photo: STAR
Nine small and big bridges on Tangail-Tarakandi Road are in dilapidated state due to lack of renovation for long. The bridges are in Rouha, Razabari, Singuria, Kagmaripara, Phultala, Soya, Tatihara, Narandia and Shialkhol areas under Kalihati and Bhuapur upazilas. Of them, bridges in Phultola, Singuria, Rouha and Narandia areas are most vulnerable to collapse. While visiting the road recently, this correspondent found 12 bridges from Elenga of Kalihati to Bhuapur and nine of them are old and in bad condition. Vehicles run over these bridges amid risks of accidents any time. During Liberation War, freedom fighters damaged half of Singuria bridge in Bhuapur upazila to snap road ling between Tangail and Bhuapur. After liberation, the authorities concerned repaired the bridge by setting up a bailey one on the damaged portion. The bridge is now awfully dilapidated as steel slabs are badly damaged and one side railing is broken. Some vehicles fell from the bridge in the last few years, killing several people and injuring many others, said one Saiful Islam of Singuria village. Trucker Mazharul Islam Mintu said the bridges were built before the Liberation War and these need immediate repair. Truckers cross the bridges with goods-laden vehicles everyday, taking risk of life, he added. Locals said the officials of the Roads and Highways Department (R&HD) examined the nine bridges at several times, but no step has been taken yet to repair or renovate them. Jahangir Hossain Mondol, chairman of Nikrail Union Parishad (UP) in Bhuapur upazila, said the authorities concerned should immediately reconstruct the bridges. Contacted, Shawkat Ali, executive engineer of Tangail R&HD, said they have prepared a project to reconstruct eight bridges on the road from Elenga to Bhuapur and sent it to the Planning Commission for approval.
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