RAJBIRAJ: A 50-metre stretch of Mahuli Bridge along the East-West Highway in Saptari has sustained structural damage in a recent flood, forcing authorities to shut vehicular movement along a lane of the bridge.

Lack of immediate repair poses a threat of complete destruction of the bridge along the major highway of the country.

According to locals, vehicles are passing through from one lane of the bridge which sees more than 3,000 small and big vehicles, daily.

Although there is no obstruction in vehicular movement at present, the bridge is under high risk of being washed away if the region witnesses another flood in the upcoming days, Superintendent of Police, Mukesh Kumar Singh said.

However, Road Division Office has said that repair and maintenance works of the bridge have begun without obstructing vehicular movement.

According to Eastern Regional Head of the Department of Roads, Dipak Kumar Bhattarai, preparations are ongoing to fence the destroyed stretch and to construct a spur to prevent further damage by flood.

It will take a week to repair the destroyed stretch, Bhattarai added.