RHD inspects 5,188 bridges in 23yrs

It was nearly a Herculean task for the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).
The government agency, responsible for the construction and maintenance of highways and bridges across Bangladesh, recently completed the inspection of 5,188 bridges, flagging 184 of them as vulnerable infrastructures.
Even with assistance from Japanese and outsourced local engineers, it took the RHD a staggering 23 years to assess the structural integrity of these bridges - most of which were constructed 30 to 50 years ago in the Cumilla and Rangpur zones.
The question naturally arises: What contributed to this prolonged process? The main culprits are a chronic shortage of personnel and a lack of inspection manuals.
Instead of relief after the prolonged inspection job, officials say the completion serves as a reminder to them since the public agency is yet to scrutinise 90 per cent of the bridges and culverts across the country.
While the department prepared its five inspection manuals in 2015 with the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), its manpower crisis is dragging on.
"The RHD has only four to five engineers in zonal offices. However, its area of responsibility is extensive and diverse, inspection by the zonal office was not possible in the past," said an engineer from Bridge Management -- the RHD wing responsible for bridge management.
While talking to the FE on condition of anonymity, he mentioned that conducting a single bridge inspection with the JICA manuals takes several hours. Therefore, inspecting more than three to four bridges in a day is simply impossible for them.
With a staggering 90 per cent of bridges and culverts -- equivalent to around 40,000 smaller structures across the country -- awaiting scrutiny, the looming spectre of fatal road accidents and recurrent transportation disruptions weighs heavily in the balance.
According to RHD data, out of the total 5,188 bridges inspected under Rangpur and Cumilla zones, 89.43 per cent are in good condition, while the remainder fall into various categories. The vulnerability rate of the bridges, totalling 184, stands at 3.6 per cent.
Officials said they conducted inspections of these bridges by following five manuals and utilising new software recently developed for bridge maintenance and management.
This achievement was facilitated by RHD's initiative to enhance the capabilities of private firms, which undertook the task for the government agency while following the provided manuals, they added.
Sources said the RHD began its efforts to assess the condition of the bridges 23 years ago, but encountered difficulties.
However, the recent success in identifying vulnerabilities was made possible by outsourcing the work to the private sector, after JICA support resumed in 2021.
Since 1999, RHD has been looking after the bridges with the support of JICA. However, this support was temporarily suspended following the tragic Holey Artisan terror attack in 2016.
JICA has played a crucial role in assisting RHD in developing five sets of guidelines for bridge inspection and maintenance. These include Bridge Inspection and Evaluation, Bridge Management and Standard, Bridge Strengthening and Repair Manual and Bridge Management System.
Kazuhiko Sasaki, a JICA expert, said that under the JICA project approved in March this year, they are currently assisting RHD in crafting a detailed plan with a focus on training and capacity building in the private sector, as well as outsourcing.
"As the number of private companies involved in this work is limited, development of the private sector in the area of maintenance and management is necessary," he told the FE during an interview at his office.
The JICA expert expressed hope that this initiative will establish a system for implementing the maintenance cycle independently and sustainably, with active involvement from the private sector.
Officials said that they have started the inspection in Chattogram and Sylhet zones. However, four zones - Dhaka, Mymensingh, Gopalganj, and Rajshahi - are still pending.
When asked about the delay in inspection, maintenance, and management, Additional Chief Engineer of the Bridge Management Wing Shashir Kanti Routh said the concept of bridge management is not only new for the RHD but also for other parts of the world.
The RHD, with the assistance of JICA, has been working on developing its capacity along with that of private firms, as Japan has advanced expertise in this field, he added.
The RHD oversees a road network spanning 22,476 kilometres, which includes small bridges and culverts across national, regional and district roads.

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