Vehicles are likely to begin using the under-construction six-lane bridge over the Ganga in Prayagraj from the second week of November, marking a significant boost to the city’s road infrastructure.
Being Built at a cost of over Rs 1,947 crore, the bridge is expected to ease persistent traffic congestion on the existing Ganga bridge and enhance crowd management during major religious gatherings such as the Kumbh, Mahakumbh and Magh Mela, officials said.
According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), nearly 94% of the construction work on the 9.8-km bridge connecting Stanley Road and Malak Harhar has been completed. The remaining work includes construction of the toll plaza cross barrier and laying of the bituminous surface. Despite the ongoing flood season, officials said the project is progressing on schedule.
NHAI project manager Vaibhav Varshney said construction is progressing rapidly across all sections of the bridge and is expected to be completed by the end of September. “Trial runs are likely to be conducted in the first or second week of October, after which the bridge is expected to be handed over by October 31. If the timeline is adhered to, it is likely to be opened for vehicular traffic in November,” he said.
Officials associated with the construction said floodwaters are unlikely to disrupt the remaining work this year. Representatives of Singla Construction Company said all riverbed-related work has already been completed and only the superstructure work remains. Since the ongoing construction is above the river level, flooding is not expected to affect the project timeline, unlike last year.
Once completed, the bridge will become Uttar Pradesh’s longest bridge built using cantilever hanging bridge technology. The structure has 98 pillars, including 71 constructed within the Ganga, and five spans designed to distribute the load efficiently. While the bridge itself is 9.80 km long, the total project length from Mumford Ganj to Malak Harhar, including approach roads, is around 12 km. The construction of the bridge began in February 2021 under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
