4 min readAhmedabadAug 18, 2024 01:19 AM IST
First published on: Aug 18, 2024 at 01:19 AM IST
The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 40 crore to connect Khokhra and CTM crossroads, has been at the centre of controversy since it was opened to the public in November 2017. It was closed in 2022 after structural defects came to light, making it unsuitable for public use.
While tenders have been invited four times till now for demolition, including the AMC repeatedly extending deadline to seek more applications, the recent tender process, which closed on August 6, has attracted only one bidder.
On the fourth tender worth Rs 51.7 crore, a senior AMC official said, “We have received a bid from a company named Vishnu Prakash R Punglia Limited. We have sent its documents for evaluation to the auditors and expect a report within a week.”
On the previous three tenders, AMC city civil engineer Harpalsinh Zala said, “No bids were received the first two times. The third time, we received one bid from a Maharashtra-based company but many documents were missing. We reached out to the company several times for the submission of these missing documents. But at the end, the company backed out.”
Civic officials said contractors are seeking to carry out retrofitting of the bridge and not reconstruct it after demolition. Retrofitting is a process undertaken to strengthen the existing structure that has been damaged.
When asked, Zala said, “If the company agrees to provide a guarantee that it will ensure the bridge’s safety for the next decade, it can proceed with retrofitting. Otherwise, it has to demolish and reconstruct the bridge.”
According to the fourth tender, demolition and reconstruction work will take 28 months, including four months for preliminary surveys and design preparation.
The document stated that the project will be be carried out on EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) basis, with the contractor required to provide its own design for approval. The demolition phase will involve removal of outdated components using advanced machinery such as jaw crushers and diamond-cutting tools. The contractor has been asked to submit a detailed demolition and reconstruction plan before beginning work.
Once demolition is complete, the retrofitting phase will begin, including strengthening of key bridge components. Following retrofitting, new construction will include the installation of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) piles, pile caps and piers, alongside the construction of PSC (pre-stressed concrete) and steel composite girders. The bridge will also receive a new bituminous wearing coat, ensuring a smooth and durable surface for vehicular traffic.
The project has attracted flak from residents as well as the Opposition. Councillor Jagdish Rathod from the Congress said, “The reason behind failure of this project is corruption by the ruling party. Now, they are unable to get it demolished. The tender has been issued for the fourth time and rejected… It’s almost been two years but the bridge is yet to be demolished.”
“Senior AMC members supposedly inspected the bridge before giving the nod for its inauguration, which suggests that there was corruption from the top to bottom,” he added.
An FIR lodged last April had booked Ajay Engi-Infrastructure Private Limited (AEIPL, which constructed the bridge) chairperson Ramesh Patel; his sons and managing directors (MD) Chiragkumar Patel and Kalpeshkumar Patel; MD Rasik Ambalal Patel and three officials of SGS India Private Limited (project’s management consultant) on charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy. All the four directors of AEIPL were arrested along with Pravin Desai and Bhailalbhai Pandya of SGS India.
The AMC had also suspended four of its engineers responsible for supervision of the project and initiated departmental inquiries against them.
The bridge was closed in 2022 after structural defects came to light. (Express Photo by Vidhi Turakhia)
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