Ahmedabad Approves Rs 2,500 Cr Civic Overhaul, Rs 240 Cr for Subhash Bridge

Standing Committee Chairman Devang Dani said on Thursday that the decisions cover road, drainage, water supply and civic infrastructure works across multiple wards of the city.

Dani added that projects worth around Rs 600 crore relate to road development, including approval for an iconic road from Naroda to Narol.

"Development works worth Rs 2,500 crore for the metropolis have been approved in today's Standing Committee meeting. This includes road projects worth Rs 600 crore and various works related to drainage and water projects," he said.

He added that the infrastructure works are intended to support the city's long-term growth.

"As a result, the development of Ahmedabad is progressing at rocket speed at the global level. With the 2030 Commonwealth Games coming in the future, works that accelerate infrastructure development have been approved so that good infrastructure works progress rapidly," Dani said.

Speaking about road projects and the bridge renovation, he added that the Naroda-Narol iconic road had been approved and that the civic body had cleared the renovation of Subhash Bridge.

"Subhash Bridge had been closed due to damage. Now, after completion of the technical process, the Standing Committee has approved work worth Rs 240 crore for the renovation of Subhash Bridge," he said.

He added that development works worth about Rs 250 crore had also been approved for improving various buildings and locations, including those associated with Gujarat University and L.D. College of Engineering, as well as heritage buildings and temples.

Dani also announced the development of a new public garden in the city's western outskirts.

"Just as Ahmedabad has Kankaria and Vastrapur Lake, in the same way a Lotus Garden will be created in South Bopal. In it, replicas of flowers from every state of India will be seen. Thus, the Lotus Garden will be created in a way that increases the happiness index of people," he said.

The committee also approved an upgrade of the civic body's complaint management system.

Dani added that the CCRS App, through which residents currently lodge complaints using the number 155303, will be upgraded with artificial intelligence.

"AMC will become the first municipal corporation in the country whose app will be AI-based. Earlier, complaints used to be closed directly, but now photographs from before and after the work will be uploaded," he said.

The committee also approved the development of 25 additional junctions across the city.

Dani added that the civic body had earlier approved the development of 100 junctions and the new decision would extend the programme to more locations.

He said that works including halls, urban health centres, bridges and footpaths in different wards were also approved as part of the Rs 2,500-crore package.

Providing technical details of the bridge project, South-West Zone Deputy Municipal Commissioner Mirant Parikh said the bridge is a major traffic corridor in the city.

"Subhash Bridge is like a lifeline of Ahmedabad city, as major traffic passes through it," he added.

Parikh said the bridge had been closed earlier to prevent any risk to the public after defects were noticed.

"When minor and major defects had occurred in Subhash Bridge, it was immediately closed keeping in mind that no loss of life or other problems should arise," he added.

He said the renovation will involve replacing the bridge's superstructure and strengthening the structure.

"The work will be carried out in two parts, in which the existing superstructure of the bridge will be demolished and a new superstructure will be prepared and strengthened," he said, adding that two additional lanes will also be constructed around the bridge as part of the project.

According to the technical note presented to the committee, the existing bridge is about 454 metre long and 18 metre wide, with spans measuring 76.25 metre and 36.50 metre.

The renovation of the existing structure is expected to take nine months in the first phase.

In the second phase, two new bridges with two lanes each will be constructed on either side of the existing structure.

Each will be about 454 metre long with a width of 10.55 metre, including an eight-metre carriageway, crash barriers, footpaths and parapets.

The additional bridge works are expected to take about 24 months to complete.

The project will include the installation of prestressed concrete girders, replacement of bridge bearings with POT-PTFE or elastomeric bearings, waterproofing of the deck slab, a bituminous wearing coat, expansion joints and architectural lighting on the bridge structure.

The tender for the work has been issued for Rs 232 crore in accordance with government procedures and approved technical specifications.

- IANS