Malaysian bridge collapses after a flood project widened the river but left the old span in place

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari told reporters at the site on Jalan Gajah Utama that the widening, finished under a state flood mitigation plan, turned the old crossing into a choke point. In heavy rain the water backed up at the bridge, he said, according to Media Selangor and Bernama. Prolonged rain, a rising river and a high tide late on Nov. 3 then pushed strong currents through. The Petaling district Public Works Department said the current had eroded the riverbanks at the bridge, The Star reported.

The collapse cut the main road between Kampung Kubu Gajah and Paya Jaras Hilir to all vehicles. Water spilled into a nearby neighborhood and affected about 50 families, Amirudin said. Media Selangor, the state government's news agency, reported that the closure cut road access for more than 4,500 homes, and Bernama put the number of affected residents above 1,000.

The state will put up a 35-meter Bailey bridge from its own stock, with no rental cost, once utility poles are moved. Amirudin said installation would take two to three weeks. A permanent bridge, with about RM20 million approved, is set to start early next year and could take up to two years, partly because utilities must be relocated. Media Selangor quoted him as saying it should be done by 2029.

Officials have not said when the old bridge was built, who designed the river widening or why the crossing was not replaced as part of the flood works. Until the Bailey bridge opens, drivers are being sent along Jalan Merbau Sempak toward Masjid Nurul Iman.