Patna: A large slab of the Vikramshila Setu, which connects Bihar`s Poorvanchal region to Seemanchal region in north Bihar, fell into Ganga river in Bhagalpur district late around 1.10 AM in the wee hours Monday.
The large slab of Vikramhila setu fell down near pillar number 133 of the bridge collapsed into the Ganga river, causing panic throughout the area. No lives were lost in the incident.
Sources claimed that around 11:33 PM on Sunday night, police personnel noticed signs of sudden ground subsidence and cracks developing near pillar number 133. Senior officials were alerted in a timely manner, and vehicular access to the bridge was immediately and completely restricted.
Just an hour and a half later—at 1:10 AM—a slab approximately 25 meters in length collapsed into the river. Fortunately, the bridge had been evacuated immediately upon receipt of the warning else buses bound for Muzaffarpur and Araria could have fallen into the river.
Currently, all movement across the bridge has come to a complete standstill, and traffic has been diverted toward Munger and Sultanganj.
The foundation of the bridge was laid on November 15, 1990, by the then chief minister, Lalu Prasad and it was inaugurated in July 2001 during the tenure of the then chief minister, Rabri Devi.
The responsibility for constructing the bridge—which spans approximately 4.7 kilometers—was entrusted to the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation. At the time, the initial estimated cost for constructing the 4.7-kilometer-long bridge was approximately R 167.58 crore—a figure that subsequently rose over time.
According to official records, approximately Rs 838 crore was spent on its construction during that period. Following the collapse of a bridge slab, the entry of heavy vehicles into Bhagalpur city and the Zero Mile area has been completely stopped.
According to experts, this bridge had been on "life support" for quite some time. As recently as March 2026, the protective walls of pillars 17, 18, and 19 had collapsed.
At the time, the department dismissed the incident, stating that the walls merely as external structures but the collapse of these walls exposed the pillars' foundations directly to the strong currents of Ganga river and the effects of 'scouring' (soil erosion).
The gap between the bridge's expansion joints had widened to as much as six inches, causing severe vibrations in the bridge whenever heavy vehicles passed over it, sources claimed.
