In what can only be described as a classic case of good intentions gone hilariously wrong, Vadodara district authorities built a temporary brick wall to block vehicle access to the collapsed Mujpur-Gambhira bridge – only to discover they’d walled in their own rescue vehicles.
The three-foot-high wall, hastily erected on the Padra side of the damaged bridge on Sunday, was meant to prevent unsuspecting vehicles, especially those using GPS, from entering the unsafe structure. Officials feared that drivers unfamiliar with the local area, particularly those from outside Gujarat, might blindly follow navigation systems straight onto the collapsed span, especially at night.
Several vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river after a segment of the 40-year-old bridge near Gambhira village, connecting Anand and Vadodara districts, collapsed on July 9.
Such concerns aren’t unfounded. Similar incidents have happened in other states, where vehicles plunged off under-construction or closed bridges due to misguided GPS routes.
To prevent a repeat, the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department built the barrier. But in a rush to plug the gap, they forgot to check one crucial detail: two vehicles and a mast light – meant for the rescue operation – were still on the wrong side of the wall.
Locals say they tried to alert officials mid-construction, but the wall was completed before anyone took action. The result? A comedy of errors, with rescue vehicles now requiring rescue themselves.
“This is a perfect example of how our administration functions – even after a major tragedy,” a local villager said with a shrug, as quoted by Times of India.
Now, the district officials will have to partially dismantle their own wall, retrieve the trapped vehicles, and rebuild the barrier. Authorities also plan to construct a similar wall on the opposite side of the bridge.
