PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 26 -- The Devghat bridge over the Belan river in Koraon area of Trans-Yamuna region will remain closed to all traffic for around three months for repairs after suffering extensive damage due to floods and strong currents, officials said. The provincial division of the Public Works Department (PWD) has formed a technical committee to assess the damage and recommend the required repairs. The committee is expected to submit its report to the PWD headquarters in Lucknow within four days. After the report is received, funds will be sanctioned and the tendering process will be started, officials said. The nearly 400-metre-long bridge was damaged about a week ago after the water level in the Belan river rose sharply and strong currents hit the structure. Four expansion joints have shifted, resulting in deep cracks and raising safety concerns. The administration later stopped all traffic on the bridge as a precautionary measure. PWD assistant engineer Mohammad Arshad said more than 50 villages in and around Koraon had been affected by the closure. Warning boards have been installed on both sides of the bridge. Large boulders have also been placed to stop people and vehicles from entering the damaged structure. "Once the repair report is submitted, the headquarters will sanction the required budget. The tender process will then be completed before repair work begins," Arshad said. He added that the entire process was expected to take around three months. The closure is likely to cause considerable inconvenience to residents of around 45 revenue villages under the Mahuli and Barokhar nyay panchayats, who regularly use the bridge. Residents of Devghat, Dhoos Jamua, Banshipur, Mahuli, Sansarpur, Badauwa Pal, Piyari, Gadia Murliapur, Paetiha, Hanuman Ganj, Chhapar, Balapur, Jhalmal, Amilia Pal and Gadha will have to take longer routes via Drumandganj or Bhogan....