Nagpur, India: After the tragic bridge collapse in Pune’s Maval area, where several lives were lost, people in Nagpur are now worried about the old Ajni railway bridge. This 125-year-old bridge, built during the British era in 1900, is still used by thousands of vehicles every day, including heavy trucks, even though experts say its lifespan ended years ago.

The original construction company had declared the bridge unsafe nearly 20 years ago. Still, the traffic has never stopped. The road surface is now in very bad shape. There are no proper dividers, causing many two-wheeler accidents and frequent vehicle collisions.

To fix this, authorities tried adding temporary dividers made of pipes, nets, and cement blocks. Height barriers were also placed to stop heavy trucks. But these efforts have not worked well. Trucks often damage the barriers or avoid them. One side of the bridge now has no barrier at all, and the other side is only partly blocked.

A new cable-stayed bridge was planned in 2023 to replace the old Ajni bridge. The project was valued at ₹333 crore and aimed to be ready by the end of 2024. However, the construction is far behind schedule. As of June 2025, major parts like the main pillar and girder have not been built. Experts now say it might take another two years to finish.

Past warnings were also ignored. In 2023, then Railway Minister Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury visited the bridge and ordered urgent repairs. Some small fixes were done, but the bridge is still in use, even though it is not considered safe anymore.

In another incident, a foot overbridge collapsed at Ballarshah station in 2022, killing one woman and injuring seven people. Despite this, not enough steps have been taken to prevent similar accidents elsewhere.

Satish Yadav, a member of the Central Railway’s user committee, has raised alarms again. He warned that Nagpur could face a disaster like Pune if action is not taken soon.

Residents are now asking: will authorities wait for a tragedy before they act?