The West Bengal government plans to pull down the entire the entire span of the Majerhat bridge to build a new one within a year. There were doubts about whether the deadline is sufficient for it because of the challenges of erecting a structure over rail tracks and getting work done during the festive season. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the construction of the bridge on Friday with a deadline.
“The investigation committee headed by the chief secretary has recommended that the remaining portions of the Majerhat Bridge be pulled down immediately. Construction of the new bridge will start within a month and will be completed by a year under the direct supervision of the chief secretary,” said CM Mamata Banerjee during a news conference at the state secretariat.
The announcement was done only after a private infrastructure company assessed the stability of the bridge on government’s request and then recommended to go ahead. Although the company had advised to rebuild the collapsed portion of the bridge on September 4 calling it irreparable damage over time to the girders and the deck slabs that stand on an otherwise strong foundation.
However, according to an engineer in the team the design of the bridge was a complex one compared to modern structure, so it was difficult to match the girders and the deck slabs and it was better and easier if a new one is founded instead of repairing the old one.
