PWD accelerating pontoon bridge construction across Ganga and Yamuna

The Public Works Department (PWD) is erecting 30 pontoon bridges to overcome flood delays and ensure communication throughout the broad 4,400-hectare mela region.

The Public Works Department (PWD) is increasing the construction of pontoon bridges spanning the Ganga and Yamuna, which had been delayed due to a protracted period of flooding. The first pontoon bridge for the fair area in Old GT, which began on October 21, was completed on November 20. With the painting of railings on both ends completed, this bridge will be open for traffic on Friday.

The PWD has now accelerated building of the remaining 29 of the projected 30 pontoon bridges that would connect the 25 sections of the large mela region, which spans 4,400 hectares. On October 21, construction block four of the department began work concurrently to prepare the Old GT, Gangotri-Shivala, and Harishchandra pontoon bridges. The Old GT Pontoon Bridge was completed on 20th November. Sixty-four pontoons have been floated and stabilised in the Ganga, and brand new Saal sleepers have been installed to complete the 320-meter-long bridge.

Along with this, the Gangotri-Shivala, Mahavir North, Jagdish Ramp, and Kali, Anant Madhav, Nagvasuki, Venimadhav, and Gangeshwar pontoon bridges are slated to be completed by November 26, according to the block’s executive engineer, Surendra Singh. Another development is that the Shastri Bridge, which connects Prayagraj to the state’s eastern districts, would be repaired again starting next week. The repair work will last four months, although traffic will not be halted on all lanes of the bridge. Last month, Naveen Kumar Sharma, executive engineer of the PWD’s construction block 3, submitted  ₹ 18 crore proposal to the headquarters for bridge repair, which was approved by the department’s financial committee. The bearings for the bridge’s 256 spans will be repaired.

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