THE Roads and Highways Department鈥檚 finding that at least 712 bridges and culverts across the country are in urgent need of repairs is alarming. The figure, drawn from inspections in six of the department鈥檚 10 zones, paints a deplorable picture of the state of national infrastructure. An additional 1,319 structures are on the brink of degradation, pending maintenance, and at risks of falling into the same critical category. It was reported at a seminar that the Roads and Highways Department and BUET-Japan Institute of Disaster Prevention and Urban Safety organised that more than 15,000 bridges and culverts had been assessed, with the rest, spread across Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi and Gopalganj, yet to be inspected. While the majority of the structures are found in good condition, the number of structures already found hazardous or nearing that threshold is significant. The problem, however, does not end with the physical decay of concrete and steel. It lies deep in the systemic neglect, lack of timely maintenance and absence of long-term planning. Officials, experts, academics and engineers at the seminar emphasised the need for integrating research and field data to pre-empt hazards and bolster sustainability.
Such an institutional collaboration should be accompanied by concrete government action to address the visible infrastructural decay. The magnitude of the challenge highlights structural deficiencies not only in physical infrastructure, but also in routine maintenance, planning and administrative responsiveness. That more than 700 structures require urgent repairs is a result of years of neglect in management and predictive maintenance. Small-to medium bridges and culverts are particularly vulnerable, yet they often escape the attention that large-scale infrastructure commands. The risk is not merely logistical or economic. It is also a direct threat to public safety. Collapses or prolonged closure of such structures can impede emergency response, disrupt education and healthcare access and sever critical supply chains, especially in flood-prone or remote regions. Without systematic monitoring and timely repairs, the domino effect will strain the already overstretched road network. The Road and Highway Department鈥檚 completion of inspections in six zones is a commendable start, but implementation should be prioritised before the backlog deepens. Budgetary allocations for preventive maintenance, the use of inspection technologies and the decentralisation of repairs could mitigate damage. There should equally be accountability for maintenance delays. A responsive infrastructure strategy should evolve beyond crisis containment into one of resilience-building, foresight and sustained investment.
The government should not wait for structural failures to dictate its response. Ageing bridges or culverts do not collapse overnight. They collapse after years of administrative inertia. This is not just an engineering issue. It is a governance one. Authorities should act decisively and early.