Ramgarh: A nearly five-decade-old bridge over the Damodar River, constructed during the time of undivided Bihar, has become dangerous for commuting and needs immediate repair, an expert team has said.The team of experts from Hyderabad found four pillars of the bridge, connecting the rich coal belt of Ramgarh (Bhurkunda) with Giddi in Hazaribag district, badly damaged and needed immediate repair to continue vehicle movement.Notably, hundreds of vehicles, including trucks and heavy vehicles, use the bridge round the clock.The general manager of Central Coalfields Limited's Argada area, S K Jha, said, "As the bridge is under the control of the state authorities, CCL cannot repair it without a No Objection Certificate from the state govt.

We actually want a new bridge instead of repairing the old one."He added, "However, we have written a letter to the state road construction department, informing them that CCL has kept sufficient funds for the repair of the old bridge, which we will transfer to them after the repair. CCL also wants a new bridge to be constructed immediately to replace it."Meanwhile, Ramgarh DC Robin Toppo said the road construction department's technical team has prepared an estimate for the repair of the bridge. "Once the estimate gets technical sanction, the administration will contact CCL for funds as per the estimate," he said.The administration would also study the construction of a new bridge to replace the old one with the help of CCL as the old bridge cannot be demolished until the new one is constructed, Toppo said.