Ahmedabad: The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has made the decision to demolish and rebuild the controversial Hatkeswar Bridge, situated in the Khokhra area of the city. For this, the civic body has opted to initiate a tender for the construction of a new bridge, coupled with the demolition of the current structure. Tenders for the same will be put forth soon.

AMC will invite companies to propose designs for dismantling the bridge and erecting a new one in its place. The chosen company will need to determine whether the bridge’s pillars can be retained or if the entire structure requires demolition. Consequently, the project’s design and cost will be adjusted accordingly. Municipal Commissioner M. Thennarasan announced this decision.

In line with the findings of the inquiry committee and the assessment of IIT-Roorkee, the bridge was deemed entirely unsuitable for public use, resulting in its closure in June 2022. The Hatkeswar Bridge consists of a total of eight spans, with the main span measuring 42 metres and the others measuring 33 metres each. As recommended by various committees, the entire superstructure of the bridge will be demolished and rebuilt. These two tasks will be executed simultaneously. The expenses incurred for rebuilding the bridge will be recovered from the company responsible for its construction.

The Hatkeswar Bridge was inaugurated for public use in 2017. However, on four separate occasions since April 2021, it has experienced significant gaps and cracks, with the cement-concrete surface detaching at multiple locations. DeshGujarat