Bailey bridges in flood-prone areas could be dangerous, says Department of Roads chief

File Kathmandu, November 6 Department of Roads Director General Dr Bijaya Jaishi has said that indiscriminately installing Bailey bridges in areas vulnerable to floods and landslides could be dangerous. He made the remarks at a meeting of the parliamentary special committee on the impact of climate change in the Himalayas and the Bhotekoshi–Trishuli disaster held on Friday.

Informing the committee about the technical challenges involved in constructing and managing Bailey bridges, he said, “We should not rush to install Bailey bridges. Rather than installing them at multiple locations, improving the approach roads to existing bridges would be a safer and more sustainable long-term solution.

Otherwise, monsoon floods are certain to wash away these structures.” According to Director General Jaishi, constructing Bailey bridges requires strong foundations and a high level of technical caution to ensure their safety. Citing the Rasuwagadhi border point as an example, he said that constructing Bailey bridges involves substantial costs and takes considerable time.