Vadodara: The crucial Vadodara–Anand link, snapped after the Gambhira bridge collapse on July 9, 2025, killing 22 people, is set to reopen for two-wheelers and pedestrians from April 2, following completion of work and trials, marking a rare instance of a disaster-hit bridge being repaired and put back into use with high-precision engineering.The Gambhira bridge work is expected to be completed by March 31, with trials scheduled on April 1. Commuters are likely to start using the bridge from April 2 onwards.The damaged bridge over the Mahi River has been temporarily restored using a steel structure, instead of being abandoned altogether — a move seldom seen outside difficult hilly terrains and rarely at this scale after a fatal collapse.The restoration involved a complex engineering operation carried out under severe constraints. A 47-m-long steel girder weighing around 100 tonnes was installed across the damaged span using a specialised incremental rolling technique. The structure was pushed forward at a precise pace of 250 mm every three minutes, with the entire rollout completed in 75 days of the restoration work commencing.The R&B department has completed laying four inches of concrete on the surface for vehicular movement.Officials estimate that 5,000 to 7,000 daily users will get immediate relief once the bridge reopens in its restricted format.Before repairs began, authorities also removed a 12-tonne tanker that had remained precariously hanging from the bridge for 28 days after the collapse.Cranes were not used due to the fragile condition of the existing bridge. Instead, engineers deployed a 30-m launching nose to extend the rollout to nearly 80 m, with final placement achieved through hydraulic systems.Since the tragedy, commuters between Vadodara and Anand have been forced to take detours of up to 50 km, severely impacting daily travel for workers, students and businesses. The bridge over the Mahi River not only linked Central Gujarat to Saurashtra but was also the shortest route for villagers in border areas of Anand and Vadodara districts, especially those working in industrial hubs like Padra.
