It is estimated that 50% of the 50 lakh population in the city travel at least once every alternate day through Sardar Bridge. The load on this bridge built in 1992 is enormous. Presently, Sardar Bridge is the only means to cross the river in the near 4.8km area between Athwalines and ONGC Circle.
Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had carried out a survey on traffic density on this bridge which joins Adajan with Ring Road. It found out that 16,000 passenger car units (PCU) per hour passed through this bridge which is more than double that seen on Amroli Bridge and Kapodra-Utran Bridge.
“The civic administration didn’t care to develop any other form of transport. But then water transport is just not possible in Tapi River because of insufficient water. So, we have to rely on only road transport. One bridge means there will always be extra load on it,” said professor Rakesh Kumar Singh, a faculty member of Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology.
Sardar Bridge is being renovated and expanded at the cost of Rs 80 crore. It will become an eight-lane bridge by September. The Umra-Pal Bridge, which is being built at the cost of Rs 85 crore will be ready in another four months, provided 22 families agree to give possession of their land. This bridge is 90% complete. The cable-stayed bridge being built at the cost of Rs140 crore should also be ready in another four months.
The Sardar Bridge and the cable-stayed bridge are located at a distance of 1km from each other. The distance between cable-stayed bridge and Umra-Pal Bridge is 2km. Many areas of the city will become accessible to people thanks to these three bridges over the river.
“We expect traffic of 8,000 PCUs per hour to get diverted once the Umra-Pal Bridge and cable-stayed bridge are inaugurated. They will help reduce congestion on the Sardar Bridge,” said Akshay Dave, executive engineer of SMC.
by via Surat News, Latest Surat News Headlines & Live Updates - Times of India
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