New Gambhira Bridge connecting Vadodara – Anand set to open on Sept 20

Vadodara: The new Gambhira bridge over the Mahi River, constructed at a cost of ₹212 crore following last year’s bridge collapse that claimed 21 lives, is set to be inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during his visit to Vadodara on September 20.

The inauguration was earlier scheduled for September 8 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vadodara. However, the ceremony was cancelled after the government directed officials to conduct three additional safety tests on the newly constructed bridge: a pull-out test, vibration monitoring test and physical test.

The three tests have now been completed successfully, paving the way for the inauguration. A proposal for the Chief Minister to inaugurate the bridge during his September 20 visit has been submitted by the Vadodara Collector’s office to the state government.

The new bridge was constructed by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department within a year after the old Gambhira bridge, connecting Padra in Vadodara district with Anand, collapsed on July 9, 2025. The incident resulted in the deaths of 21 people and prompted the state government to announce the construction of a new bridge.

During his Vadodara visit, Patel is also scheduled to inaugurate or lay foundation stones for various development projects worth a combined ₹1,273 crore.

These include projects worth ₹212 crore under the state R&B Department for the new Gambhira bridge, ₹30.22 crore under the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, ₹24.59 crore under the Labour, Skill Development and Employment Department, and ₹25.07 crore under the city R&B Department.

Other projects include works worth ₹6.20 crore by the municipality, ₹1.99 crore by the Health Department, ₹17.61 crore by the Planning Department, ₹408.87 crore by the Panchayat Department, ₹106 crore by GETCO and ₹441.42 crore by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation.

DeshGujarat