An under-construction bridge on the four-lane highway being built across Hathali Khud in Hamirpur collapsed, leaving three people injured. One of the injured is reported to be in serious condition. The bridge is part of the Shimla-Matour four-lane highway project.
The bridge that collapsed is part of the 17-km stretch between Kohali and Cheel Bahal. The highway is being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The estimated cost of the entire highway project is nearly Rs 10,000 crore, which includes compensation for land acquired for its construction.
What Caused the Hamirpur Bridge Collapse
According to Rakesh Yadav, Project Director, NHAI, the incident occurred while a 90-metre-long truss bridge was being launched using the pushing method. During the operation, the launch process ran into trouble, and a major portion of the steel bridge reportedly slipped from the pier and fell into the stream below.
The stream at the site is around 150 feet deep, which made the fall severe. The steel structure could not hold its position on the pier during the launching operation, leading to the collapse.
Rescue and Current Status
Three persons were injured in the incident. One of them is seriously hurt. The bridge was still under construction when the collapse happened, and the launching work was in progress at the time.
The NHAI Project Director confirmed the sequence of events, stating that the truss bridge was being pushed into place when the mishap occurred. The exact reason behind the slip is still being looked into.
Our Take: Safety Must Come First on Highway Projects
To put it plainly, this is a serious wake-up call for one of the country's most expensive highway projects. A bridge being launched is a delicate operation, and when a structure of this size slips from its pier, questions need to be asked about the safety checks in place during construction.
In our view, the priority right now should be two things. First, the injured must get proper medical care, especially the person who is seriously hurt. Second, the NHAI and the contractors must carry out a full review of how the launching operation was handled. A project worth nearly Rs 10,000 crore cannot afford repeated accidents during construction.
For people living along the Shimla-Matour route, this highway is meant to make travel faster and safer. That promise only holds if the building work itself is done with strict safety standards. Readers should watch for the official inquiry findings, because they will show whether this was a technical failure or a lapse in procedure.
Until then, the focus should stay on the injured and on making sure the remaining construction on this stretch is carried out with far more caution.