Heavy Rain Causes Damage to Newly Opened Bridge in Dehradun

In Dehradun, heavy rainfall has led to the collapse of an access road to a bridge that was reopened just weeks ago. Officials confirmed the bridge's main structure is intact, but the road's foundation has been compromised. Repair efforts are underway, with the district magistrate overseeing the situation. The Congress party has criticized the state government for the quality of the repairs, demanding accountability and action against responsible officials. This incident raises concerns about infrastructure resilience in the region, especially following previous natural disasters.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 28, 2026, 15:15 IST

Bridge Damage in Dehradun Due to Heavy Rain

(Including images) Dehradun, July 28 - In the Premnagar area of Dehradun, heavy rainfall early Tuesday led to the collapse of the access road to a bridge that had been reopened for traffic about two weeks ago. Officials reported this incident.

Upon receiving news of the road's collapse, police and administrative officials conducted a thorough inspection of the bridge located at Nanda Chowki. They confirmed that the main structure of the bridge remains intact; however, continuous heavy rainfall has washed away the soil beneath the access road, resulting in a partial collapse.

Officials indicated that traffic on the bridge has been affected following the incident. They stated that technical staff from relevant agencies, along with police and administrative personnel, are present at the site, working swiftly to repair the damaged road. According to officials, the road will be restored to meet safety standards and reopened for vehicular traffic as soon as possible.

Dehradun District Magistrate Dr. Ashish Chauhan personally inspected the site with a team of technical engineers amidst the rain and instructed officials to restore the road promptly. Following the natural disaster last September that damaged the bridge, a temporary alternative bridge was constructed nearby to facilitate traffic. However, during the heavy rainfall on the 12th of this month, that temporary bridge also collapsed, prompting the administration to reopen the repaired old bridge for traffic on the same day.

The Congress party criticized the state government regarding the quality of the repair work, alleging that corruption has undermined the state's foundations, as the bridge, repaired at a cost of 16 crore rupees, did not last even 16 days. After staging a protest against the government's poor performance, senior vice president of the state Congress, Surya Kant Dhasmana, condemned the government and administration, claiming they are merely attributing the issue to the damaged access road to evade responsibility. He stated, 'The access road is part of the bridge, and you cannot absolve yourself of responsibility by only mentioning the collapse of the access road.'

Dhasmana has called for the dismissal of the state's Public Works Department minister and demanded legal action against the engineer responsible for overseeing the bridge's repair work.