PATNA, May 10 -- The Road Construction Department (RCD) of Bihar has ordered an urgent safety audit of all major bridges across the state following the recent collapse of a span of the iconic Vikramshila Setu in Bhagalpur. Officials said on Saturday that the exercise, as per the instruction, must be completed within the next 72 hours, starting from Sunday. The move aims to address growing concerns over the structural safety of old and ageing bridges, particularly as the monsoon season is set to arrive later next month. RCD Secretary Pankaj Kumar issued an instruction to carry out the safety audit after a high-level review meeting on Saturday. "Senior officials and engineers were told to immediately assess the condition of existing infrastructure and take immediate remedial measures," said an executive engineer present in the meeting. According to Jitendra Kumar, managing director of Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL), bridges between the length of 60 to 250 metres and above will be covered in the audit drive. He added that in Bihar, there are 3003 bridges between the length of 6 to 60 metres, 479 bridges between 60 to 250 metres and 97 bridges with length above 250 metres. He said that audit teams have been told to examine critical elements including bearings, girders, span slabs, piles, expansion joints, approach roads and drainage systems, with reports to be uploaded promptly on the department's portal. Secretary Pal issued firm directions, warning that any laxity would not be tolerated. "There will be no compromise on the safety and quality of bridges," he said, adding that regular monitoring must be ensured to prevent any untoward incidents. He made it clear that accountability would extend to senior levels - if any bridge suffers damage due to negligence, the concerned Executive Engineer as well as headquarters-level officers will face strict action. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the RCD, Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL), Bihar State Road Development Corporation Limited (BSRDCL) and the National Highways wing of RCD, with regional officers joining through video conferencing. The secretary also directed immediate repair work on any dilapidated bridges identified during the audits and instructed the National Highways wing to carry out similar safety checks on bridges located on NH stretches. Emphasising preparedness for the upcoming monsoon, he asked all executive engineers to remain on high alert. Bihar Assembly speaker Prem Kumar on Saturday conducted an on-the-spot inspection of the under-construction Amas-Darbhanga green field expressway (National Highway-119D) and enquired about the project's progress, quality standards and issues the construction company was facing. Describing it as a milestone in the state's infrastructural advancement, the speaker said that it is the state's first greenfield expressway. "The four-lane, access-controlled national highway is being built on a 190-km-long stretch under the Bharatmala Pariyojana on a hybrid annuity model (HAM). The Megha engineering and infrastructure limited is executing the project for the RCD at an estimated cost of Rs.1,157.5 crore, with work commencing in March 2023," said the speaker. Officials informed the speaker that physical progress has been achieved over 50.549 km out of 55.002 km of available land, while efforts are underway to clear remaining encumbrances on 4.453 km. Financial progress stands at around 44.51%. Kumar directed officials to maintain strict quality standards and adhere to the timeline, underscoring the expressway's potential to boost trade, industry, agriculture and connectivity across the state....