The approach road of a bridge built at a cost of nearly Tk8 crore in Bogra's Sonatala upazila has partially collapsed, raising fears of a disruption in road communication between Sonatala and neighbouring Sariakandi.
Local residents said they had repeatedly informed the authorities about the damage, but no effective steps had yet been taken. They warned that if repairs are not carried out soon, the road link between the two upazilas could be severed, causing immense hardship to nearly 600,000 people.
According to local sources, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) completed the 280-metre reinforced concrete (RCC) girder bridge over the Sukhdah River on the Sonatala–Sariakandi road around one and a half years ago at a cost of approximately Tk8 crore.
However, heavy monsoon rains have eroded the bridge approaches on both sides, leaving the structure vulnerable and threatening uninterrupted traffic movement.
The road serves as a key transport route for thousands of commuters travelling between the two upazilas and to other parts of the country. It is also widely used by students and local businesses.
Jorgacha Union Parishad Chairman Golam Rabbani said nearly 600,000 residents from 18 unions in Sonatala and Sariakandi depend on the bridge for daily travel.
"The damaged approach needs to be repaired immediately. Otherwise, people will face severe hardship," he said.
Sonatala Upazila Engineer Rafiqul Islam said the authorities had received complaints from local residents and acknowledged that heavy rainfall during the monsoon had caused similar damage at several locations.
Given the bridge's importance, repairing the damaged approach would be treated as a priority, he said. The matter has already been reported to the higher authorities, and repair work will begin once the necessary allocation is approved.