Gandhinagar, Sep 30 (IANS): Government of Gujarat has approved an allocation of Rs 245.30 crore to widen 41 narrow bridges and structures on nearly 20 road routes across Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced on Monday.

This move aims to alleviate traffic congestion and ensure smoother travel across the state. The decision comes after the state recognised that several bridges and structures are narrower than the roads they connect, leading to frequent traffic jams. The state’s Roads and Buildings Department will now work on expanding these structures to match the width of the adjoining roads.

Widening these bridges and structures will significantly reduce traffic issues, ensuring safer and faster travel. The decision is part of the government’s broader initiative to improve Gujarat’s road infrastructure and enhance the ease of living for its residents. By upgrading these essential routes, the government aims to create a more efficient and reliable transportation network across the state.

Meanwhile, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) is working to complete the Gujarat segment of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, commonly known as the Bullet Train, by December 2025. As part of this effort, the NHSRCL is focused on completing the construction of 11 unfinished river bridges out of the 20 located in Gujarat, including the longest — a 1.4-kilometre-long bridge on the Narmada River.

Construction on Narmada River bridge is actively progressing, with the NHSRCL preparing to launch girders from both ends of the structure, located between Surat and Bharuch railway stations, to accelerate the process. Of the 24 river bridges along the route from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, 20 are situated in Gujarat, making the state a crucial part of the project's overall completion.

NHSRCL has completed constructing 11 out of 20 river bridges in Gujarat for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor. These completed bridges include structures on the Kaveri (120m), Purna (360m), Mindhola (240m), Ambika (200m), and Venganiya (200m) rivers in Navsari district; Kolak (160m), Par (320m), and Auranga (320m) rivers in Valsad district; Mohar (160m) and Vatrak (280m) rivers in Kheda district; and the Dhadhar (120m) river in Vadodara district.