What Measures is Jamnagar Taking After the Vadodara Bridge Collapse?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Immediate inspections initiated following the Vadodara bridge collapse.
- Focus on structural integrity of bridges and roads.
- Collaboration among various municipal departments for comprehensive assessments.
- Urgent repairs to potholes and damaged roads to ensure safety.
- Part of a larger statewide safety initiative to prevent future incidents.
Jamnagar, July 14 (NationPress) Following the tragic collapse of a bridge in Vadodara, a statewide initiative has been launched to assess the infrastructure throughout Gujarat. As a part of this effort, the Jamnagar Municipal Corporation has promptly set in motion an inspection process. The evaluation commenced at the Gulab Nagar Overbridge on Monday, where officials meticulously collected data regarding the bridge's present state.
The inspection team proceeded to examine two additional bridges located near Dhunvav on the Jamnagar-Rajkot Road. During the inspection, Municipal Commissioner D.N. Modi issued specific directions and suggestions to the engineers and departmental heads involved.
A thorough survey was conducted across various bridges and roads within the city. D.N. Modi personally assessed several overbridges situated along key routes, including Rajkot Road and Kalavad Road, to evaluate their structural safety.
The survey extended along the Kalavad Highway, beginning from Mahaprabhuji's Bethak and covering numerous structures along the route.
Accompanying the inspections were DMC Devendrasinh Jhala, City Engineer Bhavesh Jani, Controlling Officer Mukesh Varnava, alongside teams from the Town Planning (TPO), Estate, and Solid Waste Management departments.
Alongside the bridge evaluations, the team was tasked with identifying and mending potholes and damaged sections on the city’s major roads, particularly those impacted by recent rainfall.
Significant attention was directed towards urgent patching and temporary repairs to ensure road safety and minimize disruption for the public.
This initiative is part of a comprehensive statewide strategy aimed at ensuring aging or compromised infrastructure does not further jeopardize public safety.
Gujarat boasts a rich and extensive network of bridge infrastructure managed by various authorities.
For example, the Surat Municipal Corporation oversees 124 bridges within the city, including river bridges, flyovers, and underpasses, in response to a High Court order for structural inspections.
In Ahmedabad, the Municipal Corporation manages 92 flyovers, bridges, and underpasses, with 69 structures inspected in 2024 and an additional 42 scheduled for post-monsoon evaluations.
In the Vadodara district, there are 43 bridges, which include 14 railway overbridges, 22 river bridges, four flyovers, and one extra bridge; all 41 operational bridges have recently successfully passed a pre-monsoon safety inspection.
Beyond municipal jurisdictions, Gujarat features prominent inter-city bridges such as the Sudarshan Setu (2.32 km cable-stayed link inaugurated in 2024), the 3rd Narmada Bridge (1.34 km extradosed road span launched in 2017), the Atal Pedestrian Bridge (300 m steel truss over the Sabarmati), Surat’s Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Cable Bridge (918 m), the historic Golden Bridge (1.41 km, established in 1881), and Sudama Setu (166 m pedestrian suspension bridge in Dwarka).