The Maithilpur Rail Overbridge (ROB) in Muzaffarpur has once again been closed to heavy vehicles. The Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation has installed height-gauge barriers for the fourth time on both the Imlichatti and Maithilpur sides of the bridge, stopping large trucks and other heavy vehicles from entering the city through the ROB.
The move follows concerns over the safety of the bridge. Government buses have also been diverted and are currently operating via Mahesh Babu Chowk, Mehdi Hasan Chowk and Brahmapura.
The restrictions on the Maithilpur ROB follow an earlier technical inspection of the bridge. An IIT Patna team had declared the bridge unsafe for heavy vehicles, following which the administration and the Bridge Construction Corporation decided to restrict their movement.
The need to install barriers again arose after earlier barriers were repeatedly damaged in collisions with trucks. Height-gauge barriers were first installed on both sides in June. A speeding truck from the Imlichatti side broke the barrier within about 24 hours. The department repaired it, but another truck damaged the barrier from the same side about 48 hours later.
On the night of July 13, a truck coming from the Maithilpur side broke the barrier as well as its pillar. Following three consecutive incidents, the Bridge Construction Corporation removed the barriers from both sides.
After the barriers were removed, large trucks carrying goods began using the ROB at night along with private buses. This increased the load of heavy vehicles on the bridge again.
With the barriers now installed for the fourth time, the department has once again stopped heavy vehicles from entering the bridge. The objective is to reduce the additional load on the old and dilapidated structure.
The administration had already issued an order restricting heavy vehicles on the bridge. Apart from the Maithilpur ROB, the movement of heavy vehicles had also been prohibited on three other bridges in Muzaffarpur.
The Maithilpur ROB is among the city's key connecting routes and is used daily by a large number of people travelling between different parts of Muzaffarpur.
With heavy vehicles now barred from the bridge, alternative routes will have to be used. Government buses are currently being operated through Mahesh Babu Chowk, Mehdi Hasan Chowk and Brahmapura.
The diversion is expected to increase traffic pressure on alternative routes, particularly for buses and goods vehicles.
Traffic pressure was already present on roads across Muzaffarpur. In August, information had emerged that the no-entry period for large and commercial vehicles in the city had also been extended from 6 am to 9 pm.
The restriction on heavy vehicles at the Maithilpur ROB could therefore add further pressure to other roads in the city.The long-term solution to the Maithilpur ROB issue is not limited to installing barriers on the old bridge. Work is also underway on a plan to construct a new ROB.
According to reports, work on the new bridge has been affected for a long time because of the poor condition of the old bridge and construction-related obstacles. Encroachment on railway land, electricity poles and water pipelines have delayed construction work.
Following the restriction on heavy vehicles, traffic management on alternative routes will be a key challenge. If adequate traffic management is not implemented on the diverted routes, congestion could develop at other major intersections in the city.
During peak hours, this could particularly affect bus passengers, school vehicles and drivers of smaller vehicles.
The repeated incidents of barriers being broken have also raised the question of how heavy vehicles are reaching a bridge where their movement is restricted.
Similar incidents of barriers being damaged after being hit by trucks had occurred earlier. With the height-gauge barriers now installed for the fourth time, ber monitoring will be required to prevent heavy vehicles from entering the bridge again.
The administration's stated objective is to prevent a potential accident on the bridge. After the technical inspection found the bridge unsafe for heavy vehicles, the restriction has been linked to safety concerns.
At present, the fourth set of height-gauge barriers has been installed at the Maithilpur ROB and heavy vehicles are barred from using the route. Routes for government buses and other large vehicles have been changed.
