IMPHAL, March 16: BRTF has started repairing and maintenance work of the Bridge over Irang River along NH-37 (Imphal-Jiribam Road) from today onwards.
Process has also been started to repair the 17 km long road stretch along Awangkhul to Irang Bridge.
Commanding officer (CO), 765 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) had notified earlier that the movement of all types of vehicles en route towards Jiribam from Imphal and vice verse shall be restricted for consecutive three days w.e.f March 16 to 18, in view of the said works.
A team led by Highway Truck Owners Welfare Organization (HITOWO) general secretary Laishram Ratan Khuman and publicity secretary Konthoujam Brojen Singh inspected the work site today.
Speaking to IFP at the work site at Irang Bridge, officer-in-charge of None, 83 RCC/BRTF said the bridge can take the weight of a 15 tons truck.
However, the trucks plying on this roads weight in between 20 to 30 tons.
Besides these trucks, as the railway construction is going on, trucks carrying load of more than 30 tons crosses this bridge frequently these days, he said.
Because of all this, the bridge is now in a worst condition, he added.
He said the panel lock of this, 140 feet long bridge is broken and so the iron plates which is placed on top of it is moving loosely.
It is extremely risky to continue using this bridge so the repairing work had to be started, he said while informing that around 15 labourers are being engaged in the work.
He also had a brief chat with the visiting HITOWO team.
Further, the HITOWO team also met the second-in-command of 83 RCC, Ram Prakash Gupta at his office at None, where they urged the officer to repair the road stretch from Awangkhul to Irang Bridge before rainy season.
The officer replied that they have written a letter to section Rs 589.04 lakh to 765 BRTF along with the detail estimate to repair the said road stretch on September 29 last.
The officer also informed that the answers to the queries of HQ 83 RCC/GREF, None had also been sent on March 16.
He said the road will be repaired with 7.5 cm thick WBM and 7.5 cm thick black topping.
The process for the tender has been started, he said while adding that the work will be started as soon as they revived the sanction.