The Public Works Department Delhi is set to carry out a structural safety and stability assessment of the Signature Bridge over the Yamuna in northeast Delhi’s Wazirabad area, officials said. The department has issued a tender to appoint a consultant who will conduct inspections, recommend non-destructive testing (NDT) and prepare a five-year maintenance plan along with preliminary cost estimates.
Officials said the exercise is aimed at evaluating the long-term structural health of the bridge and establishing a systematic maintenance framework. The selected consultant will assess the structural integrity of the bridge, recommend appropriate testing methods and design a detailed maintenance strategy for the coming years.
“We will be hiring experts for a structural safety and stability assessment of the bridge along with a detailed maintenance methodology and cost estimates for the next five years. This has not been done even once in the last seven years since the bridge was opened to the public,” a PWD official said.
The move follows internal evaluations conducted after the PWD assumed maintenance responsibility from the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC). The corporation had previously indicated budget constraints in maintaining the structure beyond the initial three-year maintenance period for which it had funding.
During preliminary internal inspections, PWD officials identified several issues including damaged road surfaces, broken side railings and non-functional street lights and CCTV cameras. Officials noted that for infrastructure projects of this scale, structural audits should typically be conducted at least once a year and supported by a regular maintenance regime.
To strengthen the evaluation process, the department has approached experts from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur to undertake the structural audit. Representatives from both institutions have already conducted site visits and requested architectural designs, construction data and other technical documentation for review.
“The Signature Bridge is a technologically advanced infrastructure. The objective is to conduct a detailed assessment of structural safety and to prepare a scientific maintenance methodology for the coming years,” the official added.
Following completion of the structural audit, the appointed agency will be required to develop a comprehensive five-year maintenance plan. The plan is expected to include provisions for routine inspections, periodic detailed structural evaluations, preventive and corrective maintenance measures, and emergency response procedures to address unexpected structural conditions. It will also provide preliminary cost estimates for testing, inspection and repair activities required to ensure the bridge’s long-term safety and reliability.
