Surat: Following the recent Mujpur-Gambhira bridge accident in Vadodara district, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has ordered urgent and thorough safety inspections of all bridges across the state. Acting on this directive, Surat District Collector Dr. Saurabh Pardhi visited the Tapi river bridge on National Highway 48, which connects Kholwad and Amboli in Kamrej taluka, and inspected the ongoing repair work on its expansion joint.

Due to the ongoing repair work, the bridge has been temporarily closed. Traffic has been diverted from Kim Char Rasta to the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway.

The District Collector stated that round-the-clock repair work is underway on the expansion joint of the bridge. Vehicles traveling from Bharuch to Surat have been diverted to Package-6 of the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway from Kim Char Rasta. From there, motorists are using the newly constructed expressway and exiting near Ena village in Palsana taluka to rejoin the highway. Police personnel have been deployed for traffic regulation. The repair work is expected to take around 30 to 35 days.

NHAI Surat Project Director Sanjay Kumar Yadav provided further details, noting that there are three bridges over the Tapi river on NH-48 near Kholwad. Expansion joint repairs have begun on the left-side bridge. Planning for this repair has been underway for the past 18 months, and with the combined support of the central and state governments, the project has now gained momentum. Vehicle movement on the bridge has been halted to facilitate the work, which began immediately. NHAI teams, including engineers, manpower, machinery, and equipment, are working 24×7 to complete the project. The bridge is expected to reopen for traffic in approximately 30 to 35 days.

During the inspection, Mamlatdar Rashmin Thakor, DYSP R.R. Sarawiya, and NHAI officials were also present. DeshGujarat