PATNA, June 24 -- Movement of heavy vehicles has been halted on a key stretch of Sasaram-Buxar state highway for safety reasons after a decades-old bridge, roughly 28-30 metres long, over Sone canal developed cracks in its girder near Baridih on the Chausa route, officials of the road construction department (RCD) said here on Monday. A horizontal barrier has been placed, allowing only light vehicles to pass. Engineers from Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) inspected the site and repair work will begin once estimates are final. A senior RCD executive engineer, speaking anonymously, said, "The department moved quickly once the damage came to light." The problem, however, runs much deeper. In recent years, Bihar has earned an unwelcome reputation for frequent bridge collapses and structural failures. This incident has raised fresh worries about the condition of the state's infrastructure. The bridge, believed to be around 50 years old, is the latest in a string of worrying cases. A comprehensive safety audit of around 638 bridges longer than 60 metres in Bihar was carried out over the past few months by experts from the RCD and IIT Patna. The review, which covered districts such as West Champaran (49 bridges), Patna (36), Muzaffarpur (39) and several others across the state, flagged serious concerns. Failures of Vikramshila Setu and Aguani Ghat bridge, among others, have raised public concerns about bridge safety and triggered questions about the quality of construction, timely maintenance and oversight. According to an official press note, 23 bridges were found to be in critical condition and declared unfit for normal traffic. Of these, strengthening work is underway on 10 bridges. New structures were recommended at five locations, while tenders for maintenance of the remaining bridges are at different stages of finalisation. Fifty bridges need general repairs and four critical bridges allow only light vehicles. An alternative diversion is being built at one sensitive spot. In a high-level review meeting on June 13 chaired by department secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal, strict instructions were given to expedite repair works and ensure proper quality is being maintained, officials said, adding that the IIT Patna has also examined 47 major bridges longer than 250 metres, with follow-up action under progress. Pal emphasised continuous monitoring so that problems can be spotted early and major accidents avoided. He made it clear that any slackness in work or quality would invite strict disciplinary action against erring engineers. The department says improving mobility and safety remains a top priority under the chief minister's guidance. Despite these efforts, BRPNNL managing director Jitendra Kumar declined to publicly list all the damaged bridges, arguing that it could create unnecessary panic among the public. "We are imposing restrictions wherever required," he said. Local vehicle owners, however, are frustrated by the lack of clear information by the state authorities. Rajesh Kumar, a truck operator, said, "Plan your trip at your own peril these days. No one really knows which bridges have developed problems on which routes or which ones have been quietly blocked. The RCD is not sharing the full list openly, so drivers end up wasting time and fuel on detours or taking risks on roads they assume are fine." Locals demanded transparency for better planning while prioritising safety. Meanwhile, officials maintain public safety is paramount and repairs are being handled urgently. Yet with memories of recent collapses fresh, many in Bihar are hoping this latest round of inspections and restrictions leads to lasting improvements, not temporary fixes....