Setu parallel start in March
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Patna: Construction of a new bridge parallel to Gandhi Setu over the Ganga will start by March next year. The matter is pending before the public investment board (PIB).
As things stands now, Gandhi Setu is in a dilapidated condition as its repair work is going on. On April 4, road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav met Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari to discuss the Rs 3,000 crore new bridge.
“Construction will start by March 2019,” Nand Kishore told The Telegraph. “The matter has been sent to the public investment board (PIB) and once it approves the tender, the process will start.”
The PIB, under the finance ministry, vets investment proposals by state-run entities. After the PIB’s nod, the ministry of road, transport and highways (MORTH) will move the proposal to the central cabinet within.
Construction of a new four-lane bridge will not face any land issue as there is no need to acquire land from any private people. The bridge will come up west of Gandhi Setu.
“Once it gets the central cabinet’s nod, the process of inviting the tender will begin,” Nand Kishor said. “We can understand that Gandhi Setu is not in good shape and there is an urgent need to get this bridge. Work on the Kachchi-Dargah to Bidupur bridge is also going on at a fast face.”
The ambitious Kachchi Dargah-Bidupur six-lane bridge project will be completed by January 2021. The minister himself inspected the project at the Patna and Raghopur ends on February 1.
The new bridge is part of a special package announced by Prime Minster Narendra Modi for Bihar and will be around 15km long, including the approach road. Unlike Gandhi Setu, the main bridge will not exceed 5.575km. It will be completed in four years’ time.
Gandhi Setu is being restructured by MORTH, which has selected AFCONS-SIBMOST JV to execute the project. Currently, the western flank of Gandhi Setu is being dismantled before it is replaced by a steel structure.
It is expected to be ready by December 2018. It is being restructured at a cost of Rs 1382.40 crore and the date of completion of the entire project is May 18, 2020.
Courtesy: The Telegraph
