Zakir Azad, Cumilla

Almost 6 years ago the risky announcement - but still the project of new bridge is elusive. Heavy traffic is closed on the old Bailey Bridge over the Gomti River at Chanpur in Cumillas Adarsh Sadar Upazila.

Only small vehicles pass through this narrow bridge. But the bridge is so narrow that long traffic jams are formed on both sides while crossing. However, as always, the Roads and Highways Department says that the steel bridge will be demolished and new bridges and roads like the National Highway will be constructed soon.

It is known that the Bailey Bridge was built in the Gomti River in the eighties. Through this, the people of some upazilas of Cumilla , including the Kasbas of Brahmanbaria, could easily travel and transport goods with the district headquarters.

Going to the surface, it can be seen that various parts of the bridge including railings are getting rusted due to time. Patatan has also decayed. Due to which the bridge was declared unsafe about 6 years ago. Movement of cargo and heavy vehicles is stopped. However, small vehicles including private cars, CNG-powered auto-rickshaws cross this narrow and dilapidated bridge. Millions of people use these bridges and roads every day out of fear. And barricades have been placed in front of the bridge to stop heavy vehicles.

Commuters and drivers say that the bridge is so narrow that two auto-rickshaws can easily cross at the same time. Because of this, severe traffic jams on both sides have taken the form of permanent suffering. Drivers and passengers demand that if a new bridge is not built soon, major accidents may occur.

C&F traders of Bibi Bazar land port say that this road is being used as an alternative to Cumilla -Brahmanbaria highway. Millions of tonnes of stone are exported to India annually through Cumilla land port.Majority of which comes from Sylhet. If this bridge, which is 4 km from the port, is built quickly, the distance will be reduced to a large extent.

Cumillas Adarsh Sadar Upazila Chairman Advocate Aminul Islam Tutul said that the promise of building a large-scale bridge along with road development is a long-standing one. Work on Cumilla to Kasba Road and Chanpur Bailey Bridge has been transferred from LGED to Roads and Highways Department. It is expected that the roads and public roads will start construction of the bridge very soon.

Suniti Chakma, Executive Engineer of Cumilla Roads and Public Ways Department, said, technical survey is going on, once the design work is completed, I will start the construction of the bridge in the Western Bridge Improvement Project. At the same time Cumilla -Salda 26 km road will also be constructed on the pattern of national highway. For this, a project worth 2 thousand crore taka has been taken up.