Journalism of Courage
Dehradun bridge cost Rs 16 crore, massive crater appears in 16 days
Congress accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of corruption and staged a sit-in protest at the site.
Rajesh Chandra, the Head of the Department at PWD, said water entered the structure, creating a vacuum and a cavity beneath the approach road. (Express Photo)
Sixteen days after a Rs 16-crore bridge was opened to the public in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, part of the road approaching it caved in on Tuesday, creating a massive crater just ahead of the bridge.
The bridge in Nanda Chowki over the Tons River was opened to the public on July 12.
District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said he instructed officials of the Public Works Department to repair the damaged portion and restore traffic within three hours.
He also directed that action be taken against the official concerned for negligence. It was found that due to heavy rainfall, soil had been washed away from beneath the approach road, leading to the collapse.
The area is on the stretch connecting Uttarakhand’s capital to Himachal Pradesh.
The Opposition Congress has accused the BJP government of corruption, alleging that the collapse was the result of scams. “The bridge was constructed at Rs 16 crore, and the government has swallowed the money. Everything has been swallowed up — bricks, stones, mortar, gravel, cement, steel reinforcement bars, and even the offerings made at Ram Mandir, Kedarnath, and Badrinath have all been siphoned off,” said Congress’s Suryakant Dhasmana, who was leading a sit-in protest at the site. The party leader also sought the dismissal of PWD Minister Satpal Maharaj.
BJP का ‘करप्शन मॉडल’ pic.twitter.com/3zIUB2l5Io
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 28, 2026
Restoration work
Rajesh Chandra, the Head of the Department at PWD, said water entered the structure, creating a vacuum and a cavity beneath the approach road. “The project cost is Rs 16 crore. We expect to fill the affected cavity within the next couple of hours, after which restoration work will continue,” he said.
The reconstruction of the road was prompted after it was washed away on September 16, 2025, when Dehradun was hit by massive floods. “The stretch, operated by the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India), was handed over to us for repair,” Chandra said.
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He also said the damage is estimated at around Rs 2 lakh. “The repair cost will be borne entirely by the contractor, Himalayan Construction. Since the project is still within the defect liability period, the contractor is contractually obligated to carry out the repair and restoration work at its own expense,” he added.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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