Bhopal/Jabalpur, Feb 23 (NationPress) In the wake of the controversy surrounding the collapse of the railway overbridge on the Bhopal-Jabalpur National Highway, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) stated on Monday that the road section in question is not under its jurisdiction.

NHAI's Project Director for Jabalpur, Amrit Sahu, clarified in an official statement that the road was constructed by the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPRDC), which is also accountable for the maintenance of the area where the incident took place.

“There are misleading claims suggesting that NHAI constructed the road in question. The reality is that MPRDC is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the affected section. Thus, NHAI holds no responsibility regarding the construction and maintenance related to this route,” the NHAI's statement to IANS asserted.

A segment of the bridge over the railway crossing near Shahpura on the national highway, linking Jabalpur to Bhopal, fell on the evening of February 22, igniting a political uproar in Madhya Pradesh.

Reports indicate that this is the same bridge where the second lane suffered damage back in December 2025. Since then, traffic has been restricted to one lane while repairs were being carried out on the other lane.

This recent damage occurred in the section that was still under construction.

The Opposition Congress seized the opportunity to criticize the BJP-led state government, citing that a bridge valued at 400 crore rupees collapsed within three years.

The Congress party labeled the collapse of the railway overbridge on Bhopal-Jabalpur National Highway-45 as a manifestation of corruption and negligence under the current BJP administration in the state.

“This bridge, constructed at a cost of Rs 400 crore, was finalized just three years ago. I demand a high-level judicial inquiry into the entire matter, an immediate FIR against those responsible, and the construction company be blacklisted to ensure the recovery of public funds,” State Congress President Jitu Patwari expressed on the social media platform X.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Umang Singhar addressed reporters at the Madhya Pradesh Assembly premises on Monday, stating that State Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Rakesh Singh should comment on this issue.

In December of the previous year, half of this bridge collapsed, which led to traffic being limited to one lane as repairs were underway.

With the new section of the bridge also caving in, the state administration has closed the road for safety purposes.

This bridge was intended to alleviate traffic congestion at the Shahpura railway crossing.