Mahakali Suspension Bridge Closed After Span and Central Tower Collapse; Technical Assessment Underway

Kanchanpur: The government has initiated a technical assessment of the damage to the suspension bridge over the Mahakali River connecting Dodhara Chandani and Bhimdatta Municipality in Kanchanpur. Movement across the bridge has been completely halted after one of its spans and a central tower collapsed this morning.

Kanchanpur Chief District Officer (CDO) Madan Koirala inspected the damaged bridge this morning and stated that a technical study would be conducted to determine the cause of the damage.

According to CDO Koirala, security personnel were deployed to immediately close the bridge to traffic after receiving reports early this morning that it had become unstable. A section of the bridge fell into the river at around 8:00 AM. The bridge is currently impassable.

“A span and a central tower of the bridge have collapsed. It is currently impossible to cross,” said CDO Koirala.

Koirala stated that a technical team from the Infrastructure Directorate under the Sudurpaschim Province Ministry of Transport has been summoned to identify the technical reasons behind the damage. The team will conduct an on-site inspection and technical analysis of how the bridge was damaged.

He added that the necessary procedures for repair and restoration would be initiated following the technical team’s assessment. He noted that if the issue could be resolved within the jurisdiction and capacity of the provincial government, the work would proceed at the provincial level. However, if a provincial-level solution proved unfeasible, coordination with the federal government would be sought.

“If the technical analysis indicates that the provincial government can handle the matter, we will proceed accordingly. However, if there are technical issues beyond the provincial government’s capacity, we will consult the federal ministry to determine how to repair and restore operations as quickly as possible,” Koirala said.

CDO Koirala stated that once the technical team’s report is received, authorities will coordinate with the relevant agencies to expedite the process of bringing the bridge back into operation.

He has urged the public not to visit the site, even just to view the bridge or record videos, due to its hazardous condition.