Ahmedabad, March 6 – The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)’s Standing Committee has approved development projects worth ₹2,500 crore across the city, including a ₹240 crore project to renovate the Subhash Bridge, which was closed last year due to structural defects.
Standing Committee Chairman Devang Dani stated that the decisions cover road, drainage, water supply, and civic infrastructure projects in various parts of the city.
Dani added that projects worth approximately ₹600 crore relate to road development, including approval for a new road from Naroda to Narol.
"The Standing Committee has approved development projects worth ₹2,500 crore for the city. This includes road projects worth ₹600 crore and various projects related to drainage and water infrastructure," he said.
He further stated that these infrastructure projects are intended to support the city's long-term growth.
Dani emphasized that with the 2030 Commonwealth Games approaching, approvals have been given for infrastructure development projects to ensure rapid progress.
Speaking about road projects and bridge renovation, Dani said that the Naroda-Narol road project has been approved, and the civic body has cleared the renovation of the Subhash Bridge.
"The Subhash Bridge was closed due to damage. Now, after completing the technical process, the Standing Committee has approved a ₹240 crore project for the renovation of the Subhash Bridge," he said.
He also announced the approval of projects worth about ₹250 crore to improve various buildings and locations, including those associated with Gujarat University and L.D. College of Engineering, as well as heritage buildings and temples.
Dani also announced the development of a new public garden in the city's western outskirts.
"Similar to Ahmedabad's Kankaria and Vastrapur Lakes, a Lotus Garden will be created in South Bopal. This garden will feature replicas of flowers from every state of India, aiming to increase the happiness index of residents," he said.
The committee also approved an upgrade of the AMC's complaint management system.
Dani added that the CCRS App, which residents currently use to lodge complaints via 155303, will be upgraded with artificial intelligence.
"The AMC will be the first municipal corporation in the country with an AI-powered app. Previously, complaints were directly addressed, but now, photographs of before-and-after work will be uploaded," he said.
The committee also approved the development of 25 additional junctions across the city.
Dani added that the civic body had previously approved the development of 100 junctions, and this new decision will extend the program to more locations.
He stated that projects including halls, urban health centers, bridges, and footpaths in various wards were also approved as part of the ₹2,500-crore package.
South-West Zone Deputy Municipal Commissioner Mirant Parikh provided technical details of the bridge project, explaining that the bridge is a major traffic corridor in the city.
"The Subhash Bridge is a vital lifeline for Ahmedabad, as major traffic flows through it," he added.
Parikh explained that the bridge was closed to prevent any risk to the public after defects were detected.
"When minor and major defects were found in the Subhash Bridge, it was immediately closed to prevent any loss of life or other problems," he added.
He said that the renovation will involve replacing the bridge's superstructure and strengthening the structure.
"The work will be carried out in two phases, in which the existing superstructure of the bridge will be demolished and a new superstructure will be prepared and strengthened," he said, adding that two additional lanes will also be constructed around the bridge as part of the project.
According to the technical note presented to the committee, the existing bridge is approximately 454 metres long and 18 metres wide, with spans measuring 76.25 metres and 36.50 metres.
The renovation of the existing structure is expected to take nine months in the first phase.
In the second phase, two new bridges with two lanes each will be constructed on either side of the existing structure.
Each bridge will be approximately 454 metres long with a width of 10.55 metres, including an eight-metre carriageway, crash barriers, footpaths, and parapets.
The additional bridge works are expected to take approximately 24 months to complete.
The project will include the installation of prestressed concrete girders, replacement of bridge bearings with POT-PTFE or elastomeric bearings, waterproofing of the deck slab, a bituminous wearing coat, expansion joints, and architectural lighting on the bridge structure.
The tender for the work has been issued for ₹232 crore, in accordance with government procedures and approved technical specifications.
