SHILLONG, April 14: The bailey bridge on Shillong Bypass, which has sustained some damage of late, is set for its next haul but only this time with more stringent and rigorous checking of load carried by heavy vehicles, mainly trucks, as per new government instructions.
Transport Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, on Wednesday, informed that he has issued strict instructions for no trucks beyond permissible limit of 40 MT to be allowed to ply through the bailey bridge at Dwar Ksuid, Umroi.
“I had already instructed my officials to ensure that trucks should restrict their load within the permissible limit as soon as I was informed that there was some damage to the bailey bridge. We have issued instructions to the weighbridges to restrict the load of all the trucks,” Dhar told reporters here on Wednesday.
Moreover, the minister also denied that damage to the bailey bridge was the result of the plying of overloaded trucks.
“We had taken all measures to ensure that no overloaded trucks ply through the bridge,” the transport minister added.
THE QUESTION
While Dhar has claimed otherwise, senior Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh pointed out that the notification of the Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner states that the bridge developed cracks due to the plying of overloaded trucks.
Also, the MLA critically questioned the cracks on the bailey bridge, which were detected only within few weeks after its inauguration. “How can overloaded trucks be allowed to ply through the bailey bridge,” the Congress legislator asked.
It is also worth mentioning here that Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had, earlier on Tuesday, clarified that the damage to the bridge was not due to poor construction work by the Border Roads Organisation. The main reason for the breakdown of the bridge was the plying of overloaded trucks, he had stated.
Vehicles were allowed to ply on the bailey bridge after the repairs starting Tuesday afternoon, Tynsong had informed.
It may also be mentioned that the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi on Monday had issued an order prohibiting plying of vehicles on the bailey bridge after the technical defect had been observed.
The DC had informed that vehicles within 10 MT only are allowed to ply through the concrete Dwar Ksuid, Umroi bridge.
