Dudhia, 12th September: The Bailey Bridge constructed by the Army over the Balason River in Dudhia will remain closed to vehicular movement for one day for monthly maintenance work.
According to Army sources, the 200-foot Bailey Bridge will remain closed from 6 am to 6 pm on September 15 to facilitate maintenance work. If the maintenance cannot be carried out on September 15, the bridge will instead remain closed during the same hours on September 17.
The Army has already issued a notice regarding the closure and sent it to the Darjeeling District Magistrate.
The closure of the Bailey Bridge is expected to completely disrupt connectivity between Siliguri and Mirik for the day. The situation comes at a time when the Hume pipe bridge in Dudhia has once again broken due to rain, resulting in the suspension of heavy goods vehicle movement.
With the Hume pipe bridge already damaged, the Army-constructed Bailey Bridge is also set to remain closed for a day, potentially affecting Siliguri-Mirik connectivity.
