Guwahati: The collapse of a 63-year-old bridge on a key highway in Assam has drawn sharp criticism from Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who said the incident could have been prevented with timely intervention.
The Gammon Bridge over the Dikhow river in Sivasagar district, a crucial link on National Highway 37, collapsed in the early hours of March 27 while repair work was under way.
Officials had identified signs of structural distress nearly a month earlier, after a section of the bridge showed visible sagging, leading to restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles. Despite these measures, the structure gave way around 4.30 a.m. Soil erosion around the foundation is believed to have contributed to the collapse.
A truck fell into the river during the incident, though no casualties were reported. Local residents said the collapse occurred shortly after a multi-axle dumper truck had crossed the bridge.
The disruption led to long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway, with authorities diverting traffic through alternate routes. National Highway 37 serves as a key corridor connecting upper Assam to other parts of the state, and the collapse has significantly affected movement in the region.
Gogoi, who represents Jorhat in the Lok Sabha and is Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party, wrote to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on March 28, seeking urgent restoration of connectivity and a review of maintenance and monitoring systems.
In his letter, he said structural fatigue and visible distress had been flagged weeks before the incident, but preventive measures failed to avert the collapse, raising concerns over infrastructure safety and the timeliness of official response.
In a social media post on March 29, Gogoi also criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that the state government prioritised announcements over maintenance of basic infrastructure.
Constructed in 1963, the bridge had been a vital link for over six decades. The incident has renewed concerns over the condition of ageing infrastructure in the region and the need for more proactive maintenance to prevent similar failures.