BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has decided to conduct a social, economical and technical assessment of bridges in the state to check structural deterioration for timely restoration and maintaining durability of the assets.
The Works department has formulated a new policy with a comprehensive set of guidelines to strengthen the inspection and maintenance of bridges.
The state has more than 5,000 minor, major and mega bridges. The newly-introduced guidelines will help the engineers to inspect all bridges at least once every year. However, bridges located in hilly terrains, prone to effects of landslides and in severe exposure conditions will be inspected twice a year before and after the monsoon.
Bridges will be categorised as minor (less than 60 mtr), major (60 mtr or more), and mega (over 1,000 mtr) for inspection purposes. The process will include routine inspection which will be conducted annually or biannually through visual checks by junior or senior engineers, depending on bridge size to detect early signs of damage. During the principal inspections, detailed structural assessments, including foundation checks, will be conducted.
As per the guideline, the first inspection should be done within six months of a bridge opening to traffic followed by subsequent inspections at intervals of maximum three years. Special inspections will be conducted after unusual events such as floods, earthquakes, accidents or detection of major structural weaknesses.
All inspection reports, with geo-tagged photographs, will be uploaded to the Works and Accounts Management Information System (WAMIS) portal for monitoring. A calendar for inspections of bridges will also be prepared by officials responsible for such inspections.
Maintenance operations will be divided into ordinary and specialised works, covering concrete restoration, anti-corrosion treatments, drainage repairs, pavement waterproofing, expansion joint replacement, bearing maintenance, and riverbed reclamation to protect foundations. While minor defects found during inspections will be addressed immediately, serious issues and specialised maintenance will be conducted as per the rules.
Principal secretary of Works department Sanjay Kumar Singh said all officials concerned have been asked to follow the new policy and guidelines, which have come into immediate effect. “The new inspection and maintenance policy will help preserve the state’s bridge assets, ensure traffic safety and reduce long-term repair costs through preventive actions,” he said.