Faultily Repaired bridges endanger lives in Mon State
Dec 17th, 2008
Rai Maraoh, IMNA
Two damaged bridges continue to endanger traffic, say local sources in Mudon Township, Mon State, though superficial cosmetic repairs were made to one bridge in early December.
The bridges, located between Win-tamoe and Lat-tat villages and between Kwan-hlar and Phaung-sein villages, each had an edge collapse in September. On December 2nd, authorities made repairs to the bridge located between Win-tamoe and Lat-tat villages. A large water tank remains blocking half of the un-repaired bridge between Kwan-hlar and Phaung-sein villages.
Both bridges are concrete, but local sources say the maintenance was done with wood and covered with stones and soil. “The Development Affairs Department made repairs that are not the same quality as the original bridge,” said a woman who lives in the area. “If you look at the repairs, they just did it according to their duty, not to make the bridge really useable. They repaired it like they fix the regular road, with stone and soil.”
The repairs have not returned the bridge to full capacity. Both bridges were formally two lanes wide and of sufficient size for two small trucks to cross abreast of one another. Since the edges collapsed, and even following one set of repairs, each bridge can accommodate traffic in only one lane.
“I don’t dare to drive on the side they repaired. They fixed it, but I won’t go on there,” said a driver who recently used the road to drive from Moulmein to Thanpyuzayart. “Motorcycles may dare to go on that side, but most large vehicles do not dare to drive in that lane.”
The repairs were quick, and hardly thorough, said another resident who recently used the bridge. “They just spent one day making repairs. During my trip to Moulmein, they were working. When I came back that evening, they were already finished.”
A Development Affairs Department employee agreed: “The repair is not of good quality. It is just for appearance.”