Ahmedabad Launches Comprehensive Review of Aging Bridges and Flyovers

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has launched a detailed structural review of all bridges over 15 years old, focusing on key Sabarmati River bridges. This initiative follows public demand for better infrastructure oversight after recent accidents, including a tragic bridge collapse that resulted in 16 deaths. The review will occur in two phases, with immediate repairs already underway on several critical structures. The Chief Minister has ordered urgent inspections statewide to ensure public safety remains a priority. Stay tuned for more updates on this vital initiative.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 11, 2025, 13:22 IST

Thorough Inspection of Bridges in Ahmedabad

On July 11, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) initiated an extensive structural evaluation of all bridges and flyovers in the city that are 15 years or older. This initiative includes load-bearing capacity assessments on significant bridges over the Sabarmati River, such as the Nehru Bridge, established in 1962, and the Gandhi Bridge, which dates back to 1942.

Mirant Parikh, the Deputy Municipal Commissioner, confirmed that the inspection will occur in two distinct phases.

He stated, “Our first phase will focus on the three primary Sabarmati bridges. Concurrently, our technical teams are tasked with inspecting 30 bridges built before 2010.” The remaining structures will be evaluated in the second phase.

Parikh noted that visual inspections are currently underway on various bridges, with immediate repair work initiated where necessary. Last year, AMC conducted initial evaluations on 69 bridges, resulting in repairs, with 80% of the work now completed.

Ongoing repair and reinforcement activities are taking place at several critical locations, including Gandhi Bridge, Sardar Bridge, Jivraj Park Bridge, and Chimanbhai Patel Bridge.

This intensified audit comes in response to increasing public demand for better infrastructure management following several bridge-related incidents in the region.

In the wake of the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge collapse, which disrupted a vital connection between Vadodara and Anand and resulted in 16 fatalities, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has mandated a thorough investigation into the tragedy. Following a preliminary report, four engineers from the Roads and Buildings Department have been suspended.

An expert technical team has been assigned to investigate the site and assess the bridge’s structural history, including previous repairs, inspection logs, and quality assessments.

The initial findings indicated several oversights in maintenance and supervision. Consequently, Executive Engineer N.M. Nayakawala, along with Deputy Executive Engineers U.C. Patel and R.T. Patel, and Assistant Engineer J.V. Shah, have been suspended immediately.

The Chief Minister has also ordered urgent inspections of bridges statewide to avert similar incidents, underscoring that public safety is the utmost priority. A more comprehensive technical report is anticipated shortly.