9 hours ago
State ties up with 2 IITs for safety checks on 85 bridges
Patna: The state road construction department (RCD) has roped in
IIT Delhi
and IIT Patna to audit 85 major bridges under its newly launched Bihar State Bridge Maintenance Policy 2025, the department's minister Nitin Nabin said here on Friday.
The minister said the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited (BSBCCL) has signed an agreement with IIT Patna and IIT Delhi for the structural audit of bridges and the development of the Bridge Information and Management System (BIMS).
"Through this partnership, we will be able to work together on important tasks such as assessing the condition of bridges, identifying critical deficiencies in bridge structures, and developing targeted maintenance and repair strategies," he said.
Nabin added that conducting structural safety audits is essential for the regular use of constructed bridge structures. "This will help identify issues within the bridges, allowing for repairs to be carried out accordingly. Timely repairs and audits will prevent future bridge accidents, providing the public with a safe travel experience," he said.
"Bihar has a total of 3,968 bridges, of which 532 are classified as large.
In the first phase, safety audits will be conducted on 85 of the large bridges. This work is being carried out through BSBCCL. The audit process will reveal the actual condition of the bridges in the state, allowing them to be repaired and made fully operational. IIT Patna and IIT Delhi will provide health reports for 85 bridges within a year," a communique issued by the department said.
"IIT Patna has been assigned the task of auditing 45 bridges with an LOA issued on 04.06.2025, and a sanctioned amount of Rs 8.72 crore. IIT Delhi has been assigned the safety audit of 40 bridges with an LOA issued on 04.06.2025 and an approved amount of Rs 7.88 crore," the communique said.
