In 2023, a 308-metre bridge came up over the Dudhi river in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district, giving villagers the hope that it would finally help them connect with the rest of the state.Three years on, the structure, built at a cost of over Rs 8 crore, is yet to be put to use. The roads leading to the bridge on either side remain missing with the local administration yet to figure out the agency that will carry out the construction.The bridge near Umardha village in the Bankhedi area of Narmadapuram was completed in December 2023. It was intended to connect the district with the neighbouring Narsinghpur and improve access for residents of around 40 to 50 villages.But while the structure is in place, the 2.7-km access roads, supposed to connect it to the existing village-road network, have not been built.Also read | A bridge to nowhere: 10 years after demolition of Hancock Bridge, new structure still incompleteKeshav Raidas, sub-divisional officer of the Setu Nirman Vibhag in Narsinghpur, said his department had finished the work assigned to it three years ago. The outstanding work, he said, concerns the longer link roads on either side of the river, whose construction will have to be assigned to another agency.“The work entrusted to our Setu Nirman Vibhag has been completed. This included the bridge and the approach-road stretches of 50 metres and 100 metres on either side,” Raidas said.He said the department had submitted a detailed report to the state government after being asked to provide information about the pending roads. The report identifies two stretches that remain to be built: approximately 1,200 metres on the Narsinghpur side and 1,500 metres on the Narmadapuram side.Story continues below this adThe road on the Narmadapuram side needs to connect the bridge through Pasi Ghat to an existing village road maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD). On the Narsinghpur side, the remaining stretch is around 1.2-km long.“The government had sought information from us about the link roads. We prepared a detailed report and sent it to the government, explaining the stretches that remain to be constructed,” Raidas said.“Since the bridge work assigned to our department has been completed, the government will decide which department will undertake the remaining work,” the officer said.That decision has yet to be taken.For villagers, endless woesMeanwhile, problems faced by the villagers continue. During monsoon, the tracks leading to the bridge become muddy and waterlogged. Once the rains recede, potholes and uneven ground make access difficult. The result is a bridge that has been completed on paper and on the ground, but whose intended connectivity remains incomplete.Story continues below this adRaidas said the PWD could be considered for the road connection on the Narmadapuram side, while the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) could potentially be involved on the Narsinghpur side. These are possibilities, he said, rather than confirmed assignments. The final decision rests with the state government.The bridge was sanctioned at Rs 8.86 crore, though the contractor completed the construction for around Rs 8 crore, Raidas said. His account draws a distinction between the bridge and the short approach-road stretches included in his department’s contract, which he says were completed, and the longer link roads that remain pending.The bridge connects the Saikheda area of Narsinghpur, including villages such as Mawar and Tumda, with settlements on the Narmadapuram side, including Pasi and Umarda.A functioning road connection would make travel between the two districts easier, particularly for farmers moving between villages and for residents seeking healthcare and other essential services.