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Key Points

A 50-year-old bridge in Gujarat's Morbi district has developed strength issues, prompting immediate inspection. The DDO announced the jacketing process to reinforce the structure and extend its lifespan. This comes after the recent Gambhira bridge collapse in Vadodara that claimed 20 lives. Meanwhile, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel has ordered urgent repairs to monsoon-damaged roads and bridges across the state.

Key Points: Gujarat's 50-Year-Old Morbi Bridge Faces Strength Issues

  • Morbi bridge shows structural concerns after 50 years
  • Jacketing process to extend lifespan by 30-40 years
  • Inspection follows Vadodara bridge collapse tragedy
  • Gujarat CM orders urgent road and bridge repairs
2 min read

Gujarat: 50-yr-old Morbi bridge has developed strength issues, says District Official

Morbi DDO confirms structural concerns in 50-year-old Fuljhar river bridge, initiates jacketing process for repairs.

"This is a medium-sized bridge... After completing 50 years of age, the bridge has developed some strength issues. - JS Prajapati, DDO Morbi"

Morbi, July 16

The 50-year-old bridge on the Fuljhar river near Savdi village in Gujarat's Morbi has developed strength issues and will be repaired to increase its lifespan according to District Development Officer (DDO) of Morbi, JS Prajapati.

The DDO along with the team of engineers, visited the spot and inspected the bridge on Tuesday.

Prajapati told ANI, "This is a medium-sized bridge on the Fuljhar river near Savdi village in Morbi. After completing 50 years of age, the bridge has developed some strength issues."

He added that they have adopted the jacketing process to add to the bridge's lifespan.

"For the maintenance of the bridge, the jacketing process has been adopted, which is expected to increase the bridge's lifespan by 30-40 years," DDO Prajapati said.

This comes in the backdrop of the Gambhira Bridge collapse, taking away 20 lives in Vadodara on July 9.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has initiated restoration work to repair roads damaged by heavy monsoon rains across National Highways, State Highways, and roads in villages, towns, and cities.

He reviewed the ongoing repair works of roads and bridges across the state through the video wall of the CM Dashboard, according to an official statement by the CM's office.

"The repair instructions based on the pre-monsoon inspection of roads, bridges, culverts, and causeways must be implemented strictly with no lapses or negligence," the Chief Minister stated.

He instructed officials to adopt a proactive approach to road repairs to ensure not only the quick restoration of traffic movement and the immediate redressal of citizens' complaints, with top priority to road maintenance.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed engineers and officials to ensure that no complaint, however small, remains unresolved and that repair works are prioritised to prevent the public from facing any inconvenience.

He specifically emphasised that all citizen complaints received through the Roads and Buildings Department's 24x7 control room, the 'GujMarg' mobile app, municipal apps, WhatsApp, websites, helpline numbers, City Civic Centres, and Command & Control Centres must be addressed promptly and satisfactorily, with active monitoring by the concerned officials to ensure swift resolution.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Jacketing process sounds good, but will it really last 30-40 years? Our infrastructure projects often promise big but deliver less. The government should conduct regular audits and make reports public for transparency.
R
Rohit P
Good to see CM taking personal interest. But what about other old bridges across Gujarat? We need statewide inspection drives, not just reactive measures after accidents. Safety should be priority #1!
S
Sarah B
As someone who frequently travels through Morbi, this is concerning. The bridge looks fine from outside but if experts say there are strength issues, better to trust them. Hope the repairs don't cause too much traffic disruption though!
V
Vikram M
Why wait 50 years for maintenance? Bridges should have periodic health checks like we humans do. This 'chalta hai' attitude costs lives. The Vadodara incident should be an eye-opener for all state governments.
K
Kavya N
The tech solutions mentioned (GujMarg app, control rooms) are impressive if implemented properly. But in my experience, most complaints get stuck in bureaucracy. Hope this time will be different! 🤞
N
Nikhil C
While repairs are good, maybe it's time to consider building new bridges with modern technology. Our infrastructure needs to match our economic ambitions. Can't keep patching

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