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In the two years preceding the partial failure of the Vikramshila bridge in Bihar last week, several inspection panels and authorities highlighted warning signs that were never addressed, The Indian Express has learned.
As per officials, the partial failure unfolded in two phases, starting with a structural breakdown in pillar 133 at nearly 11.55 pm on May 3, followed by a complete span failure at 1.07 am on May 4, which split the 4.7-kilometre-long bridge over the Ganga into two sections. No injuries were reported.
The collapse caused significant disruption of traffic between a vast portion of Jharkhand and south Bihar on one side, and north and northeastern Bihar, along with West Bengal, on the other. Traffic from both directions has now been rerouted to a considerably longer path, increasing the distance between Munger and Khagaria to 161 km through the Ganga bridge, compared to 14 km via the Vikramshila Setu.
Engineers and specialists from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the Indian Army and IIT Patna, along with officials from the state Road Construction Department (RCD) and the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL), have been stationed at the site to chart the restoration work, expected to continue for nearly three months.
The BRPNNL bears the responsibility of coordinating with the RCD to maintain the structural soundness of any bridge in the state. Both the BRPNNL and the RCD had reportedly been informed about the “fragile condition” of the bridge on several occasions during the past two months, sources said.
After the collapse, RCD’s NH division executive engineer, Saket Kumar Roshan, was suspended for alleged negligence of duty.
His suspension order, issued on May 4, stated, “The responsibility of upkeep of the bridge rested with RCD’s NH division (Bhagalpur) executive engineer Saket Kumar Roshan. Prima facie, he has been found guilty of being careless and indifferent towards his duty and is being suspended with immediate effect.”
RCD sources informed The Indian Express that between August 2024 and April 2026, there had been no fewer than seven internal communications regarding the deteriorating state of the bridge, which was constructed in 2001. Over the years, the movement of overloaded trucks and the resulting weakening of the bearings at the joints have been identified as the key reasons for its declining condition, according to officials.
An RCD source said: “In August 2024, an assessment of the bridge by the RCD superintending engineer revealed gaps in six out of over 60 expansion joints. In January 2025, RCD headquarters were again reminded about the inspection. In March 2025, Bhagalpur District Magistrate Nawal Kishore Choudhary alerted visiting state government officials regarding widening cracks in the bridge. However, later that month, a combined team from IIT Patna and BRPNNL inspected the bridge and declared the structure safe.”
“In April 2025, the National Highways division, Bhagalpur, informed RCD headquarters about four additional cracks in the bridge. In April 2026, visiting RCD officials were briefed about the damage to the bridge bearings. During the same month, a comprehensive report on the bridge’s deteriorating condition was forwarded to RCD headquarters,” the source said. Less than a month later, the partial failure took place.
Even before these warning signs surfaced, there had been two major repair phases on the bridge between 2020 and 2024, with officials indicating that it required broader maintenance. An RCD official said, “Between 2020 and 2022, several expansion joints were repaired with partial closure of the bridge. In 2024, surface and structural strengthening was carried out with fresh bituminous layers to conceal the cracks emerging near the pillars. This was completed with only limited success.”
An expert, who visited the bridge to examine it after the partial collapse, said, “The repair allocation that stood at Rs 26 crore before the collapse has now risen to Rs 75 crore, with 13 new crack points being identified.”
BRPNNL chairman Chandrashekhar Singh said, “Our foremost objective is to repair the bridge and resume traffic movement even as a parallel internal inquiry is underway to evaluate the conditions that led to the partial collapse.”
“BRO specialists and structural experts from IIT are handling the delicate task of stabilising the ageing pillars and slabs. While these emergency restorations are in progress, the long-term solution to the region’s transport challenges remains ahead. A parallel four-lane bridge is presently under construction and is expected to open by December 2026. This new infrastructure is anticipated to permanently reduce traffic pressure on the Vikramshila Setu, finally relieving the overburdened bridge from heavy-duty use and preventing a repeat of the present gridlock,” Singh said.
A senior RCD official said Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has directed a safety audit of all major bridges following this partial collapse. “The CM issued the directions after conducting an aerial inspection of the bridge on May 5,” the official said.