Nearly a year after a portion of the retaining wall on the Jagraon Bridge caved in, commuters continue to use the flyover amid safety concerns as the Municipal Corporation (MC) is yet to begin permanent strengthening and widening work on the Vishwakarma Chowk side of the structure.Although the civic body repaired the damaged retaining wall soon after last year’s collapse, residents and commuters say only temporary restoration was carried out while the long-term plan to strengthen and widen the bridge remains confined to official announcements.The issue has become more serious during the ongoing monsoon, with residents fearing that continuous rain could further weaken the structure. They also pointed out that cracks have started appearing in the repaired retaining wall, while the problem of burrowing rats, which had earlier been blamed for weakening the soil beneath the structure, has still not been addressed.Thousands of commuters use the bridge every day, making it one of the city’s busiest traffic corridors.The civic body had earlier proposed widening the bridge from Vishwakarma Chowk on both sides up to Jagraon Bridge Chowk and reconstructing the damaged crash barriers. Officials had also said that experts from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College and Thapar University would be consulted before preparing the final design.However, even after several months, no detailed plan has been finalised and no construction work has started.The proposed work was also expected to be taken up under the Municipal Corporation’s much-publicised Rs 165-crore World Class Roads Project. However, with the project itself yet to take off due to delays in issuing the work order, the bridge improvement plan has also remained on hold.Last September, the retaining wall of the bridge collapsed at three different locations, prompting a visit by then Municipal Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, MLA Ashok Prashar and Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar. At the time, the officials had assured residents that a permanent solution would be prepared to improve the safety of the flyover.Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar said he would again raise the issue with the Municipal Commissioner and urge the authorities to take immediate preventive measures before the rainy season causes further damage.“We have already prepared estimates and completed the tender process for work on the Field Ganj side of the bridge. I will ask the officials to prepare and execute similar work on the Vishwakarma Chowk side as well,” he said.Dinesh Verma, a resident of Sham Nagar, said the bridge required a dedicated strengthening project instead of being linked with another infrastructure scheme.“This is a major public safety issue. The authorities should prepare a separate design and execute the work without waiting for another project,” he said.Social activist Arvind Sharma has also approached the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, seeking directions to the authorities to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of commuters using the flyover.