What Is Bailey Bridge, Indian Army's Quick-Fix Aid Coming Handy In Landslide-Hit Wayanad?

After working tirelessly for 31 hours, the Indian Army constructed 190-ft Bailey bridge to reconnect Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad. These areas had been devastated by multiple landslides in Wayanad.

The new prefabricated truss bridge replaced a 100-ft concrete bridge that was destroyed by falling boulders.

The army first tested the bridge's strength by allowing an ambulance to cross, followed by a military truck. Major General V T Mathew, commanding officer of Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area, stated that the 3m-wide bridge can support up to 24 tonnes.

This will expedite search ops in Mundakkai.

Construction details

The panels for the Bailey bridge were transported from Bengaluru in 20 trucks on July 30, the same day the landslide occurred. According to Maj Gen Mathew, who led the operation, 19 steel panels were used to construct the 190-ft bridge, supported by a single pier.

As per On Manorama, officers from the Madras Engineer Group surveyed the site on Tuesday evening. By 9 am on Wednesday, July 31, 140 officers began constructing the bridge. Limited space at the site slowed progress as only one truck could fit at a time.

"We ideally needed at least 50ft elbow room to work with the 10-ft panels," an officer noted.

Impact of new bridges

The footbridge has been crucial for search teams and provision suppliers reaching Mundakkai throughout the day. Mathew said that both bridges would remain available for public use until a new concrete bridge is built or as long as required by the government.

"We had constructed a Bailey Bridge in Sabarimala long ago; it is still there," he added, highlighting the Army's capability and experience in building such structures under challenging conditions.

The width of the new Bailey bridge allows earthmovers, excavators, trucks, ambulances, and jeeps to reach Mundakai.

Previously, only off-road jeeps within the tea estate could carry provisions and people to search sites. Out of approximately 400 houses in Mundakai, only about 30 survived the landslide; many residents are still missing.

What is a Bailey bridge?

The Bailey bridge is a portable, pre-fabricated truss bridge that played a crucial role during World War II, known for its quick assembly, modularity, and strength.

It was designed by Sir Donald Coleman Bailey, a British civil servant and engineer, whose concept was approved in late 1940. Bailey's design aimed to create a strong yet lightweight prefabricated steel truss bridge that could be rapidly deployed in war zones to replace destroyed infrastructure.

The Bailey bridge's design was a response to the urgent need for versatile, easily transportable, and quickly assembled bridges that could support heavy military loads, including tanks and other vehicles.

The first of these bridges were deployed by the British Army in 1942 during the North African campaign.

Their effectiveness led to widespread adoption by Allied forces throughout the war, revolutionising military engineering.