Road journey becomes hazardous in Tangail

Pitiable condition of Naksim Bridge on the Tangail-Basail Road in Tangail. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) declared the road unfit a decade ago, but no step was taken to reconstruct it till now. PHOTO: STAR

Terrible accidents may occur any time on the bridges but the authorities concerned are less concerned to improve the situation. Panic gripped the passengers travelling by bus or different kinds of vehicles along the vulnerable bridges on different routes.

Sources in the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) here said seven bridges in different roads of the district are totally unfit for travelling while 73 other bridges are badly damaged.

The unfit bridges are Poulee Bridge on the Tangail-Madhupur Road, Kagmary Bridge on the Tangail-Aricha Road, Pakulla Bridge on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway, Fultala Bridge and Narandia Bridge, Singuria Bridge on the Tangail-Bhuapur Road, and Nakasim Bridge on the Tangail-Basail Road.

The badly damaged bridges are Putiajani Bridge bridges on the Tangail-Delduar Road, Silimpur Bridge on the Tangail-Aricha Road, Nallapara Bridge on the Tangail-Elasin Road and Tebaria Bridge on the Salimabad-Chouhalee Road.

The RHD sources said most of the risky and badly damaged bridges were constructed after the independence of the country.

Condition of the bridges have become pitiable as the authorities concerned have not taken steps to repair the bridges so far, they said.

Meanwhile, after inauguration of the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge, a large number of vehicles ply through the district. Besides, many buses on board a large number of passengers ply to Dhaka from the northern districts over the risky and damaged bridges.

Abul Hossain, a bus driver, said to this correspondent on Sunday he feels it insecure while driving bus along with a large number of passengers over the vulnerable bridges.

'The authorities concerned should reconstruct the bridges immediately, otherwise, terrible accident may occur any time on the bridges, he said.

When contacted, the RHD officials admitted the fact saying, the department has been planning to reconstruct the vulnerable bridges in near future, they added.