Why Ageing Bridges Are Collapsing Globally, Can We Save Them? A Look Through Gujarat’s Lens

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Last Updated: July 10, 2025, 17:49 IST

Bridges worldwide, many constructed in the mid-20th century, are nearing or past their 50-100-year design lifespans. The Gujarat collapse mirrors global patterns

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The Gambhira Bridge in Gujarat’s Vadodara district collapsed on July 9, sending six vehicles plummeting into the Mahisagar River, killing 15 people, including two children. Built in 1985, this 43-year-old structure was a vital link between Central Gujarat and Saurashtra, yet its sudden failure reignited fears about ageing infrastructure.

Saving ageing bridges demands a multi-pronged approach: robust inspections, retrofitting, replacement, and policy reform.

Globally, bridges built decades ago are deteriorating, with collapses in the US, Italy, and India exposing systemic neglect.

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Let’s explore why bridges around the world are failing, what it takes to save them, challenges for India with global context, and how future disasters can be averted.

Why Ageing Bridges Around The World Are Collapsing

Bridges worldwide, many constructed in the mid-20th century during post-war or industrial booms, are nearing or past their 50-100-year design lifespans. In the US, 42% of 617,000 bridges are over 50 years old, with 46,100 deemed “structurally deficient” in 2023, per the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Europe faces similar woes: Italy’s 2018 Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa killed 43, exposing corrosion and poor maintenance in a 1967 structure. In 2023, a 1970s bridge in Portugal’s Lisbon collapsed, killing 5. Developing nations like India, with rapid urbanisation, face amplified risks due to overloading and inconsistent upkeep.

Bridges fail due to material deterioration (concrete cracking, steel corrosion), natural disasters (80.3% of India’s collapses from 1977–2017), and overloading (3.28%), per a 2020 Structure and Infrastructure Engineering study. Climate change exacerbates this, with floods and heatwaves stressing ageing structures.

The Gujarat collapse, where a 15-20-metre slab gave way under trucks and vans, mirrors global patterns: a 1985 bridge, periodically maintained but not modernized, succumbed to wear and heavy traffic. Local warnings about its condition, ignored since 2022, echo systemic issues like inadequate audits and delayed replacements.

What Will It Take to Save Ageing Bridges?

Saving ageing bridges demands a multi-pronged approach: robust inspections, retrofitting, replacement, and policy reform. Here’s how:

Rigorous Inspections and Monitoring: Regular structural audits using drones, sensors, and AI can detect cracks or corrosion early. Japan’s 2023 bridge safety programme uses real-time sensors on 90% of its 700,000 bridges, reducing failures by 15%. India’s National Bridge Management System (NBMS), launched in 2020, aims to digitise inspections for 1.5 lakh bridges but covers only 20% due to funding shortages. Post-Gujarat, mandatory audits every 2 years, as suggested by IIT Bombay experts, could prevent collapses.

Retrofitting and Strengthening: Reinforcing bridges with carbon fibre wraps, steel braces, or seismic dampers extends lifespans. The US retrofitted 10,000 bridges in 2022, cutting deficiency rates by 5%. In Gujarat, the Gambhira Bridge lacked such upgrades despite heavy truck traffic. Retrofitting costs 20–30% of new construction, making it viable for India’s 40,000+ ageing bridges.

Replacement with Modern Designs: Bridges past their lifespan, like Gambhira, need replacement. Gujarat approved a Rs 212-crore new bridge in 2025, but delays left the old one operational. Modern materials like high-performance concrete and modular designs, used in China’s 2023 bridge projects, ensure 100-year lifespans. India must prioritise replacing 10,000 bridges over 50 years old, per a 2024 NITI Aayog report.

Policy and Funding Reforms: Governments must enforce maintenance schedules and penalise negligence. The US’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $110 billion for bridges, funding 15,000 repairs. India’s Rs 1.5 lakh crore road budget in 2025 allocates only 5% to bridge maintenance. Public-private partnerships (PPPs), successful in Australia’s 2023 bridge upgrades, could bridge India’s funding gap. Post-Gujarat, Gujarat’s Roads and Buildings Department probe must lead to stricter oversight.

Climate Resilience: Bridges must withstand floods and heat. The Netherlands’ 2022 flood-resistant bridge designs reduced collapse risks by 20%. In Gujarat, recent heavy rains likely weakened Gambhira’s foundation, highlighting the need for climate-adaptive engineering.

The Gujarat Collapse: A Wake-Up Call

The Gambhira Bridge, built in 1986, was a critical 830-metre artery for industrial traffic. On July 9, 2025, a slab collapsed at 7.30 am, plunging vehicles 50-60 feet into the Mahisagar River. Rescue teams, including NDRF and SDRF, recovered 15 bodies.

Locals had flagged its dilapidated state in 2022, but funds for a new bridge were only recently sanctioned. Gujarat’s government announced Rs 4 lakh compensation per deceased family, with Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF, but critics, including Congress, slammed neglected maintenance. This tragedy, echoing the 2022 Morbi collapse (135 deaths), underscores India’s infrastructure crisis, where 2,130 bridges collapsed from 1977–2017 due to poor upkeep and natural wear.

Recent Bridge Collapses in India

India’s bridge failures expose systemic flaws:

Gujarat, July 2025: Gambhira Bridge collapse killed 13, highlighting ignored warnings and ageing infrastructure.

Pune, June 2025: A 30-year-old iron footbridge over Indrayani River collapsed, killing 4 and injuring 50, due to overcrowding and neglected maintenance.

Gujarat, March 2025: A gantry for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor failed in Ahmedabad, disrupting rail lines but causing no deaths.

Bihar, September 2024: Two under-construction bridges in Munger and Patna collapsed, with no casualties but prompting Supreme Court scrutiny over 12 Bihar collapses in 2024.

Gujarat, November 2024: An under-construction bullet train bridge in Anand killed 3 workers, raising concerns about construction quality.

Gujarat, October 2022: Morbi’s colonial-era suspension bridge collapsed, killing 135, due to shoddy repairs by an unqualified contractor.

A 2020 study notes 80.3% of India’s bridge failures stem from natural disasters, 10.1% from material deterioration, and 3.28% from overloading, worsened by lax audits and corruption.

Why It Matters for India

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India’s 1.5 lakh bridges, many built in the 1970s-1980s, support a $3 trillion economy and 1.4 billion people. Collapses disrupt trade, as Gambhira’s failure halted Saurashtra-Central Gujarat routes, and cost lives, with more than 2,000 deaths in 40 years.

Urban readers relate to infrastructure strain, like Mumbai’s 2019 CSMT footbridge collapse, while rural audiences face risks from poorly maintained bridges like Pune’s.

About the Author Shilpy Bisht Shilpy Bisht, Deputy News Editor at News18, writes and edits national, world and business stories. She started off as a print journalist, and then transitioned to online, in her 12 years of experience. Her prev… Read More Shilpy Bisht, Deputy News Editor at News18, writes and edits national, world and business stories. She started off as a print journalist, and then transitioned to online, in her 12 years of experience. Her prev… Read More

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First Published: July 10, 2025, 17:39 IST

News india Why Ageing Bridges Are Collapsing Globally, Can We Save Them? A Look Through Gujarat’s Lens