Why India’s Road Ministry Is Shifting Bridge Monitoring To Specialized Agencies To Curb Collapses

Livemint

Published8 Sep 2026, 08:43 PM IST

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India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is separating bridge monitoring from highway construction and maintenance contracts, handing the responsibility to specialised independent agencies. The move aims to detect structural deterioration early and reduce the risk of catastrophic failures. Under the existing system, the same contractors who build or maintain highways also monitor the bridges, creating a potential conflict of interest. The new framework will use continuous sensors to track movement, vibration and strain, with analytical software developed by IIT Madras in collaboration with C-DAC.