Bridge on the brink: Loose panels, daily snarls rattle Hindon crossing

Ghaziabad: Commuters using the Hindon bridge, also known as the Hindon barrage crossing, have flagged serious safety concerns and worsening traffic congestion on the stretch, a key link between Siddharth Vihar and Indirapuram.

Used daily by schoolchildren, office-goers, pedestrians and motorists, the narrow single-lane bridge has loose iron panels, with some appearing close to giving way, commuters said.The existing crossing is a 15-foot-wide, single-lane utility road built solely for barrage maintenance, not for city traffic. Height barriers block heavy vehicles, so only light motor vehicles, two-wheelers, and pedestrians can use it.

However, commuters said barriers are often broken, allowing large vehicles through. This route connects Sidharth Vihar to Vasundhara, Vaishali, Indirapuram, and Sahibabad. According to Ramakant Singh, a regular commuter on this route, the bridge is too narrow and in a dilapidated condition. “Several accidents have taken place here. Barriers installed to restrict the movement of heavy vehicles are often broken, allowing large vehicles to cross the bridge, causing severe traffic congestion,” said Singh.

Gaurav Goyal, a resident of Prateek Grand City, Siddharth Vihar, said he travels to Indirapuram every day to drop his daughter off at school and faces heavy traffic jams on the Hindon bridge. “Announcements regarding the construction of a new bridge have been made in the past, but work has not yet commenced,” said Goyal.NK Negi, another resident of Sidharth Vihar, highlighted that due to its narrow width, it is difficult for two vehicles to pass simultaneously, “Several sections of the barrage lack protective railings.

This poses a danger, especially at night, as the bridge is inadequately lit,” he said.Negi added that the bridge shows clear neglect and needs an urgent inspection, and warned that surging traffic in Sidharth Vihar makes the situation even more critical.While the construction of a new bridge is proposed by UP Avas Vikas Parishad, work is yet to begin.