DEHRADUN: Just 17 days after being opened to traffic, the ₹16 crore bridge at Nanda ki Chowki in Dehradun suffered a major setback when a large section of its approach road collapsed following heavy overnight rainfall, leaving a massive crater that severed the bridge’s connection to the Dehradun–Paonta Sahib highway.
Officials said the bridge itself remains structurally sound and that only the approach road gave way after rainwater washed away the soil beneath it.
The bridge, inaugurated on July 12, had already missed its original April 30 completion deadline. It was built to replace an earlier bridge that was washed away in September last year, an incident that claimed 14 lives.
Following the collapse, District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan directed officials to investigate the incident and initiate action against those responsible if lapses in construction or execution are found.
PWD Secretary Pankaj Kumar Pandey said the department’s regional chief engineer has been instructed to determine the cause of the collapse, fix responsibility, and submit a report with supporting evidence to the government within three days.
“If the preliminary inquiry finds negligence on the part of officials or contractors, appropriate action will be taken. Any delay is unacceptable. Restoring the road is the department’s top priority,” Pandey said.
The collapse disrupted traffic between Dehradun, Vikasnagar and neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, forcing authorities to divert vehicles through Jhajhra on the outskirts of the city.
District Disaster Management Officer Rishabh Kumar said restoration work would begin once the water level of the Tons River recedes.
“We are waiting for the Tons River’s water level to recede before soil filling can be undertaken safely and traffic can be restored,” he said.
Officials from the irrigation department have also been deployed to regulate the river’s flow and prevent further erosion.
The incident triggered criticism from residents and opposition leaders, who questioned the quality of construction despite the project’s ₹16 crore cost.
Social activist Anoop Nautiyal criticised the authorities, saying, “It took almost a year for the bridge to be completed. The government spent ₹16 crore on it, and within days such a huge sinkhole appeared. The public is angry over such poor-quality infrastructure. Shouldn’t the PWD minister be held accountable?”
The district administration later said temporary repairs had been carried out and traffic movement had been restored. Acting on directions from the Chief Minister, officials have sought explanations from the concerned department and the contractor, while the district magistrate has ordered action against those found responsible for any negligence.
