Bridge collapse cuts off Rangamati-Bandarban road link; bailey bridge planned
A bridge on the Rangamati-Bandarban road collapsed after heavy rain and hill runoff, cutting off direct road communication between the two districts.
Highlights:
- Heavy rain and hill runoff damaged bridge approach
- Bailey bridge to be installed after floodwaters recede
- Road link may reopen within a week
A bridge on the Rangamati-Bandarban connecting road collapsed after heavy rain and hill runoff damaged its approach road in Chattogram's Rangunia upazila, severing direct road communication between the two districts.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has begun preparations to install a Bailey bridge at the site to resume vehicle movement as soon as possible, said Shakhawat Hossain, executive engineer of the Bandarban Roads and Highways Department, today (11 July).
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The incident occurred in the early hours of today when part of the bridge approach in the Dudh Pukuria area of Padua union collapsed, suspending all vehicular movement on the route.
Passengers and local residents have since been stranded on both sides of the road.
According to local residents and RHD officials, continuous rainfall over the past several days increased the flow of hill runoff in the area. The situation worsened after an embankment protecting a nearby rubber dam gave way, creating a strong current that washed away part of the bridge approach.
Shakhawat said the department had already prepared the Bailey bridge and all necessary equipment.
"We will install a Bailey bridge to restore communication. The required bridge components and equipment are ready. However, they cannot yet be transported to the site because floodwater still covers the Balaghata and Swarnamandir areas. Work will begin as soon as the water recedes," he told The Business Standard.
He said several sections of the road had remained inundated for the past three days because of heavy rainfall.
"Overnight heavy rain damaged the bridge approach, causing road communication to be disrupted this morning," he added.
According to the RHD official, it may take another one to two days for floodwaters to recede before installation work can begin. Once work starts, constructing the Bailey bridge will take another three to four days.
"Overall, it may take around one week to restore road communication," he said.
Shakhawat added that officials had already inspected the damaged section and were making the necessary preparations to reopen the road as soon as possible.
Although the bridge is located in Rangunia upazila of Chattogram, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Bandarban Roads and Highways Department. Officials said emergency repair work and temporary traffic arrangements would begin immediately once conditions allow access to the site.
