Ashoka Buildcon announces new landmark in road development[ June 2013 ]

Ashoka Buildcon announces new landmark in road development
Eighteen months ahead of schedule and for the first time in India, the much awaited bridge projects across Roopnarayan river on National Highway No 6 is completed and commissioned by Ashoka Buildcon, bringing relief to the travelers from the long traffic which had become an everyday affair causing losses of precious man hours.
The earlier attempt to build a new bridge began in 2000, which failed miserably. Since then, for over 10 years, the contractors were reluctant to take up the project despite several tenders issued by the MoST and NHAI. In 2011, Ashoka Buildcon Ltd., one of the prominent highways and bridges development companies in the country, was awarded the construction of the incomplete bridge, building a new bridge on the other side of the existing bridge and also the six lanes of the highway stretch between Dhankuni and Kharagpur on BOT basis.
Despite various geographical and technical difficulties, the company completed the half complete bridge in an amazing time of 10 months. It has also constructed a new bridge on the other side in a similar short period, keeping in mind the urgency of the project and the safety of the commuters. The central and the state governments monitored the work in progress on a regular basis which also made the construction of these bridges possible in such short time frames.
“The government had directed us to ensure timely completion of the bridges, and we are happy that we have been able to achieve the same much ahead of schedule, using technologies that have never been tried before in indian bridge construction sector,” says Sanjay Londhe, Director, Ashoka Buildcon Ltd. Before these bridges were built the entire traffic was dependent on an age old narrow two-lane bridge that was dilapidating day by day, becoming a cause of concern for the government and citizens alike. The bridge was finding it difficult to cope with the heavy traffic and even a small mishap on the bridge led to hours of delay and long queues, some times as long as 5 km on either sides. Being part of the golden quadrilateral, this route is extremely important for transportation activities of West Bengal, especially as this highway connects Kolkata and Haldia port to major parts of the southern and western India. These bridges will give a positive boost to business by reducing the travel time significantly, saving precious fuel and cutting down on gas emissions. This will also increase the levels of safety on the highway. Overall the travellers can look forward to a pleasant and safe travel across Roopnarayan river.

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