Rajkot: There’s good news for the thousands who commute on Jamnagar Road. The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) on Thursday said the railway overbridge — popularly known as Sandhiya Bridge — is close to completion, with 90% of the work done.The four-lane overbridge, built at a cost of Rs 74.32 crore, replaces the old two-lane bridge. Sources in the RMC said the aim is to inaugurate it before the civic election dates are announced and the model code of conduct comes into force. “In a significant engineering milestone on Wednesday night, seven steel girders were installed over the railway tracks for the bridge’s central span,” the RMC said in a statement. Officials added that cross-girder bracing will continue for the next two days during railway block periods, with strict safety measures in place in coordination with the railways. The new flyover is 602m long and 16.4m wide, with 21 spans including the 36m central span. The RMC has built 7.5m-wide service roads on both sides with footpaths and has added two RCC box culverts for stormwater drainage. Major structural work — including the 40 piers, footings and most slab and girder installations — is complete. The remaining tasks involve the service roads, the last 30m of the RCC wall and the approach roads. RMC officials said the project is vital for the city’s growth. Once opened, the overbridge will end the traffic jams on Jamnagar Road and the delays at the railway crossing, saving time and fuel for commuters. The old bridge, built in 1978, had grown unsafe. It was shut to heavy vehicles after the Morbi bridge collapse in 2022, then closed to all traffic in May 2024 when dismantling began. The RMC estimates that 1.5 lakh commuters will benefit from the new structure. GSRTC buses from Jamnagar, Dwarka, Morbi and Kutch earlier used this route but have been taking the longer Ring Road since 2022. Heavy vehicles too will be able to resume using the bridge; at present they travel through a narrow diversion in the Bhomeshwar area, causing long jams during peak hours.
