Gaya: A bridge built to keep traffic moving is now slowing it down. Nearly a decade after the six-lane bridge over the Falgu river was inaugurated to ease traffic on the Buddhist Circuit, one of its biggest advantages is gradually disappearing as a stretch of the carriageway has turned into a bustling marketplace.Vendors selling fruits, vegetables, snacks and other daily-use items have occupied part of the 550-metre bridge, shrinking the available road space and raising serious safety concerns. Built at a cost of Rs 65 crore, the bridge was designed to facilitate seamless movement between Gaya and Manpur. Commuters said it often functions like a five-lane, and at times even a four-lane bridge, because of the encroachment.The issue has assumed greater significance as the Bihar State Road Development Corporation Limited (BSRDCL) is constructing a Rs 349 crore, 2.65-km elevated flyover that will connect directly to the bridge and extend up to the Manpur block office to ease chronic traffic congestion. Residents fear that unless the encroachment is removed, the benefits of the ambitious project will remain limited.“The six-lane bridge becomes five or even four lanes when vendors occupy one lane. This reduces capacity, creates bottlenecks and increases the chances of side-swipe collisions,” said Ramesh Singh, a resident of Siddharth Puri Colony in Manpur.Ray Madan Kishor, retired special secretary, who lives in Gaya, said the problem extends beyond vending. “Because of the encroachment by vendors, people park their vehicles illegally on the bridge, thereby increasing the chances of accidents. The whole purpose of widening the bridge has been defeated. The district administration should act immediately,” he said.Road safety experts point out bridges are engineered for uninterrupted vehicular movement, not commercial activity. Markets on bridges draw pedestrians into fast-moving traffic, encourage illegal parking and force motorists to brake suddenly, increasing the risk of rear-end crashes.Social activist Brijnandan Pathak said public infrastructure should not be allowed to lose its purpose. “A bridge is meant to connect places, not become a market. Authorities must relocate the vendors to a designated vending zone instead of allowing such a hazardous situation to continue,” he said, adding that because of the encroachment, pedestrians are unable to use the footpath constructed on the bridge.DSP (traffic) Sudhir Kumar admitted vendors have occupied a lane of the bridge. “On and off drives are conducted to remove them. However, soon this problem will end as the vendors would be shifted to Bazar Samiti at Chandauti,” he said.
