A bridge in Bhopal, India featuring an almost 90-degree turn has become a national embarrassment, with seven engineers suspended and two construction companies blacklisted over the dangerous design.
The 200-million-rupee (£1.7 million) project, meant to reduce waiting times at railway crossings, remains unopened after due to safety concerns. Drivers approaching the bridge must slam on their brakes to navigate a perilously sharp turn. As reported in The Times, engineers initially defended the design, with Chief Engineer VD Verma claiming they had "no other option" due to land constraints near a metro station.
The incident adds to India's mixed infrastructure legacy. In Bombay, a recent overbridge failed when its two sides missed connecting by six feet. In Bihar, a bridge over the Ganges collapsed in 2023 after missing eight completion deadlines.
An official inquiry into the Bhopal bridge found "gross negligence in both the planning and execution of the project," The Times reports. Social media users mockingly wondered who would dare attend the inauguration, while engineers' attempts to salvage the situation by proposing car-only traffic and speed limits failed to quiet critics.
Previously:
• No one should ever let me build a bridge
• Moving truck kisses the 11'8'+8 bridge (video)
