1 week ago
Audit Flags Rust and Sensor Failures at Signature Bridge
Delhi plans to repair and closely monitor its Signature Bridge.
An inspection in July 2026 found rust and other maintenance problems.
Many sensors that help track the bridge’s condition were missing, damaged or not working properly.
The skywalk ramp had serious rust and peeling protective coating.
Protection around some riverside foundations had also weakened.
Inspectors could not safely see everything underwater or underground.
They recommended more tests before major repairs are carried out.
The Public Works Department plans regular checks and a five-year maintenance programme.
A July 2026 audit found corrosion, damaged sensors and deteriorating foundation protection on Delhi’s Signature Bridge.
The Bridge Health Monitoring System was largely non-functional, with sensors missing, damaged or operating in passive mode.
The skywalk ramp showed severe corrosion, rust scaling, coating failure and rust at joints, splices and fasteners.
Underwater and underground sections could not be fully inspected, prompting recommendations for specialised testing and investigation.
Delhi PWD proposed regular inspections, sensor-system rehabilitation and a five-year preventive and corrective maintenance programme.
- Who
- The Delhi government, Delhi Public Works Department and PWD Minister Parvesh Verma, also referred to as Parvesh Sahib Singh.
- What
- A rehabilitation and maintenance plan for the Signature Bridge after an audit identified corrosion, monitoring-system failures and foundation-protection concerns.
- Where
- Delhi’s Signature Bridge, including its foundations, steel deck, pylon, stay cables, skywalk ramp and approach structures.
- When
- The bridge opened in 2018, was handed to PWD earlier in 2026, and underwent a condition assessment in July 2026.
- Why
- To address deterioration, restore structural monitoring and support the bridge’s long-term safety, durability and serviceability.
Delhi Government’s Account
Previous Maintenance Context
Responsibility for past gaps
Delhi Government’s Account
The Delhi government says no maintenance initiative was taken during the previous AAP regime and that PWD began a systematic programme only after receiving the bridge a few months ago.
Previous Maintenance Context
Reports state that the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation initially had funds for three years of maintenance, but later sought a handover to PWD because of budgetary constraints. The articles do not include a response from the previous AAP government.
Extent of the inspection
Delhi Government’s Account
Officials describe the assessment as a detailed inspection covering the bridge’s major components and identifying preventive and corrective work.
Previous Maintenance Context
The audit also states that the assessment was primarily visual, so concealed or inaccessible defects cannot be ruled out without specialised testing.
Key facts
- Bridge type
- The Signature Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge and India’s first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge, according to one report.
- Pylon
- The bridge has a 154-metre pylon with a viewing gallery.
- Audit scope
- The July 2026 assessment covered the foundations, steel deck, pylon, stay cables, bearings, expansion joints, approaches, skywalk ramp, façade and BHMS.
- Monitoring problem
- The Bridge Health Monitoring System was largely non-functional, with sensors damaged, missing or operating in passive mode.
- Proposed monitoring
- The overhaul would add temperature, strain, wind, displacement, acceleration, inclination, corrosion, traffic and force sensors, along with a new data-acquisition system and control room.
- Structural concerns
- Inspectors reported riverside foundation-protection deterioration, steel deck and pylon-coating problems, stay-cable anchorage concerns, wax leakage and deficiencies in some pendulum-bearing components.
- Maintenance schedule
- The proposed programme includes monthly routine inspections, detailed inspections every six months, checks after damaging incidents and a five-year preventive and corrective maintenance plan.
Quotes
A Delhi government official
Official discussing the structural audit and proposed repairs
“As the underwater and subsurface portions could not be fully inspected due to safety and water-flow conditions, a detailed investigation has been recommended. Repair measures including debris and silt removal, restoration of damaged protective concrete and additional scour protection wherever required will be done.”
indianexpress.com
“Signature Bridge is one of Delhi’s most important landmarks and a critical part of the city’s transport infrastructure. It is important to recognise that the bridge was handed over to PWD only a few months ago, and our government is now addressing the maintenance requirements systematically.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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