Bihar Launches India’s First State-Level Bridge Maintenance Policy, Partners with IITs for Audits and Structural Safety Upgrades

In a landmark initiative aimed at enhancing public safety and ensuring the long-term durability of critical infrastructure, the Bihar government has officially launched the Bihar State Bridge Maintenance Policy 2025, becoming the first Indian state to establish a structured and comprehensive framework for the systematic upkeep and health monitoring of bridges.

The initiative, unveiled through a government release on Friday, seeks to usher in a new era of infrastructure resilience and engineering accountability.

As a pivotal step in rolling out the policy, the state has partnered with two of the country’s premier technical institutes—IIT Delhi and IIT Patna—to conduct in-depth structural audits of 85 major bridges.

These assessments will form the bedrock of a broader safety and repair plan targeting over 3,968 bridges across Bihar, including 532 mega bridges constructed over the past 18 years.

According to Nitin Nabin, Bihar’s Minister for Road Construction, this collaboration will not only provide a scientific and technical foundation for bridge maintenance but also create a replicable model for other states.

“Our agreement with IITs will allow us to generate accurate, up-to-date reports on the structural integrity of key bridges.

IIT Delhi will be responsible for auditing 40 major bridges in north Bihar, each over 250 metres in length, while IIT Patna will undertake the inspection of 45 similarly significant bridges located primarily in south Bihar,” he said.

The total cost of these technical consultancy services has been pegged at Rs 16.61 crore, with letters of acceptance already issued to the respective institutions.

The audits will not only assess the current status of the bridges but will also include detailed engineering estimates for repair, retrofitting, and rehabilitation, based on the structural conditions observed during the evaluation.

Once the audit reports and structural recommendations are submitted, the Bihar State Road Building Corporation will be responsible for executing the necessary construction, repair, or reinforcement works by the technical inputs from the IITs.

Minister Nabin expressed optimism that the implementation of the new maintenance policy would significantly reduce long-term costs, as timely intervention would prevent further deterioration of bridge structures.

More importantly, the move is expected to ensure safe, seamless, and uninterrupted road travel for the people of Bihar.

“The state government is determined to ensure that the common people have access to safe, convenient, and all-weather travel routes.

This bridge maintenance policy is a reflection of Bihar’s vision for sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and it places our state at the forefront of proactive infrastructure governance. It will serve as a model for the rest of the country,” he added.

In a move that reflects Bihar’s intent to integrate cutting-edge technology in infrastructure management, the release also stated that IIT Delhi will soon submit a proposal to install real-time structural health monitoring (SHM) systems on high-priority mega bridges such as the Arrah-Chhapra bridge and the Arwal-Sahar bridge.

These systems would utilize sensors and digital tools to track bridge health continuously and generate alerts for any structural anomalies or stress conditions in real-time.

The government is further exploring the deployment of advanced inspection technologies like drone-mounted cameras, aerial mapping tools, and integrated sensor systems, building on a recent successful example.

A Gurgaon-based firm had recently carried out a digital safety audit of the Bairiyahati Ghat bridge in Samastipur using these cutting-edge tools.

With this policy, Bihar has taken a significant leap forward in institutionalizing infrastructure health monitoring and ensuring the safety of lakhs of commuters who rely on these bridges for daily travel and economic activity.

By harnessing the expertise of top engineering institutes and leveraging smart technologies, the Bihar government aims to create a robust, future-ready network of bridges capable of withstanding both time and climate-induced challenges.