State ropes in two IITs for audit of long bridges
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Patna: The road construction department will assess the health of all bridges across the state to determine their structural condition and plan maintenance accordingly. The initiative, under the newly approved bridge maintenance policy, includes the development of a comprehensive bridge health index (BHI) and the placement of QR codes at bridge sites for public access to structural data.
The department will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two IITs to conduct third-party audits of bridges longer than 250 metres. The audits aim to identify vulnerabilities using modern technologies and prevent accidents or disruptions due to bridge damage, which often leads to economic and human losses.
Speaking to TOI over the phone, road construction minister Nitin Nabin said all bridges would be subject to regular inspection and maintenance.
"Data will be collected using advanced tools such as visual inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT), sensors and drone cameras. Each bridge will be assessed for its BHI and maintenance priority index (MPI) and a health card will be prepared," he said.
According to Nabin, the department has built 3,968 bridges over the past 18 years, including 532 major bridges, mega bridges and flyovers. Maintenance activities will be categorised under seven heads – initial rectification, regular/ordinary maintenance, periodic maintenance, minor improvement, special repair, exceptional repair and unforeseeable repair.
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While Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam will handle bridges longer than 60 metres, shorter ones will fall under the jurisdiction of individual road divisions.
He also said QR codes would be installed on signboards near bridges to allow public access to their maintenance history. "Anyone can scan the QR code and get details about the bridge's upkeep," Nabin said.
The department will engage IIT Delhi and IIT Patna for auditing bridges over 250 metres. An MoU is set to be signed next week. IIT Delhi will assess 40 bridges in north Bihar while IIT Patna will audit 45 bridges in south Bihar. Both institutions will also prepare cost estimates for necessary repair work, which will be executed by Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited under the Bihar State Bridge Management and Maintenance Policy, 2025.
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