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Concerns Raised Over NHAI’s ₹100-Crore Chakki Bridge Protection Work After Wall Damage
The collapse of a 100-meter-long protection wall, built just 15 months ago as part of a ₹100-crore Chakki Bridge safety project, has cast serious doubts over the quality and durability of the construction carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) through a highway contractor.
Shimla, Updated At : 21:07 PM Aug 23, 2025 IST
Experts warn that the damage puts the entire protection system at risk, as strong river currents could compromise the remaining structures in the days ahead. The project, designed with inputs from IIT-Roorkee after the bridge suffered severe damage from flash floods caused by illegal mining, was intended to provide long-term stability to the rivulet’s course and safeguard the exposed P1 and P2 pillars.
The Chakki Bridge was closed to traffic in August 2022 following the floods and reopened in phases — first to passenger vehicles in March 2024, and later to heavy transport in June 2024 — after inspections and approvals by IIT-Roorkee experts. This was not the first attempt at protective measures; earlier cemented reinforcements around the eroded pillars had also failed within months.
Responding to concerns, Vikas Surajewala, Project Director of NHAI Palampur, maintained that the damage to the smaller wall poses no immediate threat to the larger structure or check dam, and assured that repairs would be undertaken once the monsoon season ends.
