Surat: In the aftermath of the Gambhira Bridge collapse near Padra, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to undertake urgent repairs on the Tapi River bridge near Kamrej, located on National Highway 48.

Starting July 10, the bridge has been closed for a month, and traffic has been diverted via the Kim-to-Ena section of the expressway. The Surat district administration issued a notification on Thursday announcing the diversion, while also instructing NHAI to install signboards alerting motorists. Notably, two-wheelers will not be allowed on the expressway.

The NH-48 corridor has two bridges for opposing directions. While the Surat-to-Bharuch bridge remains in good condition, the Bharuch-to-Surat bridge has developed a widening gap between two slabs due to a damaged expansion joint. A steel plate has temporarily covered the gap, but earlier attempts to fix it by closing the bridge for eight hours were unsuccessful.

As per the diversion plan, vehicles (except two-wheelers) coming from Bharuch will now have to take a diversion from Kim and travel via the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. There are no changes for vehicles heading from Surat to Bharuch. After getting onto the newly constructed expressway from Kim, heavy vehicles can exit near Ena village in Palsana taluka and reconnect with the national highway.

The old bridge near the highway connecting Kholvad and Kathor has been closed for heavy vehicles and remains open only for two-wheelers, as they are not allowed on the expressway.

“This repair work requires at least 28 days. Since we now have an alternate route available, preparations are underway to close the Bharuch-to-Surat side for full-scale repair,” said an NHAI official. The decision to prioritise repairs came after Union Water Resources Minister C.R. Paatil raised the issue with Union Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday.

Following the ministry’s direction, NHAI began work to make the Kim-to-Ena stretch functional for vehicles arriving in Surat from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Bharuch. The Surat-to-Bharuch bridge will remain open.

NHAI has cleared barricades on the expressway to allow smoother entry and exit for diverted vehicles, while implementing safety measures for commuter convenience. DeshGujarat