National
Bridge buckles after truck crash
A truss bridge over Baulaha River at Devchuli-12 in Nawalparasi buckled when a truck crashed into it early Sunday morning.Nabin Paudel
A truss bridge over Baulaha River at Devchuli-12 in Nawalparasi buckled when a truck crashed into it early Sunday morning.
Transportation was obstructed for nearly nine hours, creating a massive traffic snarl-up on either side of the bridge along the East-West Highway, as the road workers and security personnel scrambled to build a diversion route.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajesh Thapa said while small vehicles and ambulances were allowed passage from the afternoon, heavy vehicles could only travel through the diversion from the evening.
Meghraj Marashini, chief engineer at the Division Road Office in Butwal, said the impact of the truck crash had caused the floor on one end of the bridge to dip by nearly a foot from its original position.
The westbound truck (Na 6 Kha 3017) had crashed into the bridge at around 3 am.
There are around 40 bridges between Gaindakot and Sunwal in the district.
Most of them are old and need to be repaired.
Khum Bahadur Bhandari, information officer at the Division Road Office, said old truss bridges that have approached 50 years mark are prone to damages as a result of normal wear and tear, overloading, and heavy impacts.