Ahmedabad: The controversial Hatkeshwar Bridge in the city is now set to be fully dismantled and rebuilt from scratch. The civic body has issued a tender inviting contractors for the design and construction of the bridge.

Earlier, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had issued a tender of Rs. 24.87 crore for dismantling and retrofitting the 8 span-slabs of the flyover. However, after no companies applied for the tender, the AMC has now issued a new tender for the complete dismantling and rebuilding of the bridge.

The AMC has issued a new tender today of Rs. 51.70 crores for breaking and rebuilding Hatkeshwar Bridge.

Constructed at a cost of Rs. 50.88 crores, Hatkeshwar Bridge was opened to the public in November 2017. However, on four separate occasions since April 2021, it experienced significant gaps and cracks, with the cement-concrete surface detaching at multiple locations. After being closed for commuting for a long time, it was decided to demolish 8 spans of the bridge and rebuild it following an investigation by the inquiry committee and the assessment of IIT-Roorkee, which found that inferior quality materials were used in its construction.

In the standing committee meeting in July, the civic body had passed a proposal to blacklist Ajay Engineering Infra, the contractor of the bridge, for 10 years and build the bridge at its expense. DeshGujarat.