SHILLONG, June 19: The Opposition Congress has alleged that the frequent damage to the bailey bridge at Dwar Ksuid is a clear case of unchecked overloading of vehicles.“The activity along the entire Shillong Bypass has gone unchecked so there is a loss of revenue and also a huge damage to public property,” Congress MLA from Umroi, George B Lyngdoh, said on Saturday.
Lyngdoh called the bailey bridge an inconclusive exercise which was meant to be taken up at the highest level with the Government of India with the objective of constructing a bridge that is sustainable. “Now what we have seen is that the way in which the bailey bridge has been constructed was in a very fastidious manner with an intent to ensure continuity of the interstate movement and it does not get disrupted but the fact is that it was suppose to be just an exercise for a short term but then we didn’t expect that the bridge gets damaged intermittently on a regular basis which also stands witness to the overloading of trucks,” he said.
Talking about the design of the bridge, he maintained that if trucks maintained their tyre pressure according to the specifications of the National Highways Authority of India, the bridge would not have been damaged at this rate.
“It is a clear case of overloading which has been continuous and we have continuously spoken on the point that overloading is the issue,” he maintained.
It may be mentioned here that the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi has prohibited plying of vehicles after a technical defect was detected at the bailey bridge.
