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• A six-lane bridge over the Falgu River in Gaya, built at a cost of INR 65 crore, is facing congestion due to encroachment by roadside vendors.
• Stalls selling fruits, vegetables, snacks and daily-use items have occupied parts of the carriageway, reducing available road space.
• Commuters say the bridge often functions like a four- or five-lane road instead of a six-lane corridor.
• The encroachment has raised concerns over traffic bottlenecks, pedestrian safety and accident risks.
• The bridge was developed to improve connectivity between Gaya and Manpur and support movement on Bihar’s Buddhist Circuit.
A six-lane bridge over the Falgu River in Bihar’s Gaya, built to improve connectivity between Gaya and Manpur and reduce traffic congestion, is now facing a growing encroachment problem that is affecting traffic movement and road safety.
The bridge, constructed at a cost of INR 65 crore, spans about 550 metres and was developed to ease movement on the busy corridor connecting the two towns. However, roadside vendors selling fruits, vegetables, snacks and other daily-use items have gradually occupied sections of the carriageway, reducing the space available for vehicles.
Commuters and local residents say the six-lane bridge often functions like a four- or five-lane road because of the encroachments. The presence of temporary stalls, parked vehicles and shoppers has slowed traffic, particularly during peak hours, leading to frequent bottlenecks on a structure that was originally designed to provide smoother and faster travel.
The situation has also raised road safety concerns. With pedestrians moving between stalls and vehicles passing through a narrowed carriageway, commuters say the risk of accidents has increased. Residents have pointed out that the bridge was intended to improve traffic flow, but the growing marketplace has reduced its operational efficiency.
The Falgu bridge in Gaya is an important part of Bihar’s connectivity network and was developed to support travel on the Buddhist Circuit, which attracts a large number of domestic and international visitors every year. Improved road infrastructure in the region was expected to benefit both local commuters and tourists travelling through Gaya.
The issue highlights a broader challenge faced by many urban infrastructure projects, where unauthorised occupation of public spaces gradually affects the intended use of roads, bridges and transport corridors. Despite the encroachments, the bridge continues to remain a key link between Gaya and Manpur, carrying significant daily traffic.
Residents and commuters have called for action to remove the encroachments and restore the full width of the carriageway so that the bridge can function as originally planned and provide safer, smoother movement across the Falgu River.
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