Gandhi bridge unsafe for heavy vehicles

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">HAJIPUR: Mahatma Gandhi </span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">Setu</span><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""> is no longer safe for heavy vehicles. Cracks between pillar nos 44 and 45 have halted traffic movement on the western lane of the bridge these days.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The bridge became functional on March 2, 1982.Now that cracks have started appearing, questions are being raised about poor maintenance of the bridge. The agencies, which were given contract for repair of the bridge, used sub-standard materials, it was alleged.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The eastern lane of the bridge will be damaged if movement of heavy vehicles continue without proper repair work, sources said. According to some contractors, the durability of the bridge has reduced due to use of sub-standard materials.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Recently, materials kept for repair work was stolen from near the bridge.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">An engineer, who had been associated with construction work of the bridge, said that the pillars and lanes of the bridge need immediate attention. "If repair work is not done properly and the speed of heavy vehicles is not restricted, any portion of the bridge may collapse in near future," he warned.</span></div> </div>