Damaged bridge clogs up highway

A damaged slab on Tongi Bridge on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway caused a long tailback, making travellers suffer.

A five feet long and three feet wide slab of the bridge collapsed on the Dhaka-bound lane on Wednesday, resulting a huge traffic congestion on the highway.

People were seen crossing the broken bridge on foot. Dhaka-bound vehicles were diverted but that led to traffic jams.

Rafiqul Islam, an applicant of National Security Intelligence (NSI) recruitment test, said he left home around 6:00am from his home in Gazipur to attend the exam.

Finding no other options, people, entering the capital via Tongi, start walking with their luggage as the Tongi Bridge on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was damaged to such an extent that it was deemed too dangerous for vehicles. Photo: Anisur Rahman

"There was a huge pressure of traffic on the diversion road in the morning. I had to walk for about a kilometre," he said.

A local vendor Jasim Uddin was carrying onions and other vegetables for his retail shop from across the bridge. He had to cross the broken portion with the help of porters.

"The authorities should take steps immediately to save us from sufferings," he said.

Visiting the spot, this correspondent found that no vehicle on the Dhaka-bound lane was moving on the bridge whereas vehicles on the adjacent lane were moving at a snail's pace.

A pickup van driver Ramzan Ali told the correspondent that it took him three hours to cross the bridge. He was heading towards Mymensingh.

Mohirul Islam Khan, project director of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), said a new slab would be set up on the broken portion. "It may take 10 days."

Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (Traffic division) said there was no alternative to cross the river without the Tongi Bridge.

He said they were working to reduce the sufferings of people.