Bhubaneswar, Jul 1: With the monsoon season approaching and concerns rising over the collapse of ageing bridges in different parts of the country, the Odisha government has directed a comprehensive structural safety assessment of all bridges across the state.
The Works Department has instructed officials to submit a consolidated report on the condition of all small, medium and major bridges under its jurisdiction, including those on state roads and national highways, by July 4. The report will also include details of bridges requiring repairs, strengthening or complete reconstruction.
The directive was issued by Lakshmikanta Padhi, Engineer-in-Chief-cum-Special Secretary of the Works Department, to the Chief Engineers of Bridges-I & II and National Highways-I & II. Copies of the communication have also been sent to the Chief Secretary's Office, the Principal Secretary of the Works Department, the regional office of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and all Chief Construction Engineers and Superintending Engineers.
According to the department, the review will be carried out in line with the Bridge Inspection and Maintenance Guidelines issued on August 1, 2025. The guidelines prescribe routine, principal and special inspections based on the classification of bridges and clearly define inspection schedules, procedures and the responsibilities of departmental officers.
Field-level engineers have been directed to conduct inspections at regular intervals and submit their findings to the Chief Engineer (Bridges). Minor defects identified during inspections must be rectified immediately. However, if any bridge is found to have serious structural deficiencies or signs of deterioration, the matter must be reported without delay to the concerned Chief Engineer.
The department has also directed that, where necessary, technical evaluations be carried out in consultation with the Design Directorate or expert design consultants. If doubts arise regarding the structural stability of a bridge, its load-carrying capacity will also be assessed through detailed engineering studies.
Apart from the condition assessment, the government has sought a list of bridges requiring repair or reconstruction along with the status of action already taken. Chief Engineers have been asked to compile data from all field divisions in a prescribed format and submit a consolidated report to the Works Department by July 4.
The report will subsequently be forwarded to the Chief Secretary's Office for review and further action.
The statewide exercise is aimed at ensuring the safety of bridges and uninterrupted transportation during the monsoon season while creating a comprehensive database of bridge conditions to support long-term maintenance and infrastructure planning.
