Page 8 - NIS English September 1-15

Infrastructure
New Milestone

MAHATMA GANDHI SETU:

AN ENGINEERING MARVEL

The renovation work on Bihar’s
famous bridge after 38 years

gives a new lease of life to people
of the state

he 5575-meter-long Mahatma Gandhi
Bridge in Patna connecting northern
TBihar to southern Bihar has become
India’s first state-of-the-art bridge, which
was launched by Union Minister for Road
Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on
July 31, 2020. The bridge being constructed
at a cost of Rs 1,742 crore would boost socio-
economic growth of the state.
The work on the upstream lane has been
completed within a span of two and a half The bridge was renovated with about
years after it was launched in June 2017 6600 metric tonne of steel making it a
whereas the target year of the completion of steel super structure. It will benefit people
the downstream lane has been fixed to 2021. of northern region of the state including
Concrete is being replaced by steel for the Hazipur, Chhapra, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur,
first time in the country in the construction of Madhubani, Sitamarhi and Siwan districts
this bridge. Its structure has been also given besides Patna, Aara, Arwal, Jehanabad,
a facelift. Nalanda, Gaya and Aurangabad districts of

Mahatma Gandhi Setu, opened in 1982, southern Bihar. The bridge will also be useful
was called as Bihar’s lifeline but it continued for some districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh
to remain in bad shape. So, the Central and Jharkhand. Inaugurating the bridge,
Government initiated work on it. Union Minister of Surface Transport and
BUILDING ROADWAYS AND WATERWAYS

lLength of National lNow, 30 kms of after land acquisition of Rs 30,000 crore in
Highways increased roads are constructed lAnnouncement progress
from 91,287 kms in per day in comparison of construction of lFour projects
2014 to 1,32,500 kms to an average of 3 5 bridges, costing connecting water
in 2020 kms per day before Rs 3,000 crore routes will start soon
lRs 7,36,000 crore 2014 on River Ganga in lThree metre depth
spent on construction lRs 3,800 crore given Bihar. Highways of water ensured in
during 2014-2020 to farmers in Bihar projects with a cost Ganga River between

6 New India Samachar