The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to construct a bridge over Narmada river in Bharuch district and a 280-km four-lane road from Bhavnagar to Somnath at an estimated cost of over Rs 3,500 crore in the next two years. The foundation stone of the bridge is likely to be laid on May 1 this year. The bridge is estimated to cost Rs 473 crore. NHAI (Gujarat) general manager Anil Sharma told The Indian Express,besides the four-lane bridge,overbridges on the two approach roads from Jhagadia and Bharuch city would also be built as part of the project. The bridge will have the design similar to the second Vivekanand bridge of Kolkata. The proposed bridge is expected to reduce frequent traffic jams on this stretch of NH-8,which is the busiest road in the country,connecting Mumbai to Delhi. An average of 7,000 trucks are reported to ply daily on the NH-8 in Gujarat. Sharma said the four-lane road from Bhavnagar to Somnath at an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 crore,apart from 57 km long Samarkhali to Gandhidham,had also been finalised. The government had also decided to construct a 200-km long four-lane on the Somnath-Dwarika road,said an official. The main roads in the coastal belt of the state were being expanded and strengthened with a view to tackling heavy traffic owing to coming up of new ports handling import and export of goods. NHAIs regional officer in Gandhinagar J K Patel said the department was holding consultations with the state government for six lanes on the 200-km long Ahmedabad-Rjkot highway.
