Min blames ‘poor-quality’ planks for damage on Bailey bridge

SHILLONG, June 26: Transport Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar, has categorically rejected that it is the plying of overloaded vehicles that had led to the damage on the Bailey bridge at Umroi. He has said that the poor-quality planks are the reason for the breaking down of the Bailey bridge.
Asserting that the Transport department was keeping vigil against plying of overloaded vehicles, he said, “If it was due to overloading, the bridge would have collapsed totally but it is only the plank that was damaged and maybe it was not of good quality”.
Informing that lakhs of vehicle ply on the bridge, which can hold up to 40 tonnes, he said if there hadn’t been checks by the department, the bridge would not be standing right now.
He also informed that after a meeting between the state government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), it was decided that the wooden planks will be replaced by steel planks.
It may be recalled that Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong, on Friday informed that the reconstruction of the RCC main bridge at Dwar Ksuid will start immediately. He had also emphasised that cost is not the concern but the reinstallation of the bridge is.
It may be mentioned that the Bailey bridge has suffered damage twice, thereby disrupting the flow of traffic on the national highway connecting Meghalaya to other Northeastern states.