Ahmedabad: Long awaited Khokhra – Maninagar railway bridge is likely to be ready for traffic by August this year according to railway officials.

Senior PRO of Western Railway J.K. Jayant informed that the task of constructing the bridge wasn’t easy; as the construction work had to be done along with operating the rail traffic, which is a risky task. But now the construction work is in its final stage and the railway department has set the tentative deadline of June-July 2022, added senior PRO.

The renovation work of the bridge started in 2019 after a portion of the bridge collapsed in October 2015. Usually, metal bridges are 24 metre long, but this bridge has a 92 metre single span girder. This makes the renovated Khokhra – Maninagar over-bridge the largest open-way girder bridge of the Western Railway. The bridge is constructed of iron metal and weighs 1045 metric tonnes. The construction work of the bridge has been accomplished without any major complications or disrupting the rail traffic.

The COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted the renovation process by delaying the work for some time. But now the railway department is working rapidly to finish the project as per the announced timeline of July 2022. The re-opening of the bridge will ease the connectivity and traffic issue for the commuters of eastern Ahmedabad areas like Maninagar, Khokhra, Hatkeshwar, Amraiwadi and surrounding areas.

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel had visited the site on 15th April and inspected the under construction bridge. DeshGujarat