Prayagraj: District administration is already chalking a plan for Ardh Kumbh that will be celebrated in 2031. Considering that over 66 crore devotees took holy dip in the Triveni Sangam during the Maha Kumbh 2025, three new bridges will be constructed across the twin rivers in the city to manage crowd in the Ardh Kumbh.An administrative official said the key lesson learned from the 2025 Maha Kumbh in crowd management was that maintaining a steady flow of devotees was must. If number of devotees increases, bridges across both rivers are essential for smooth movement in and out of the city, for which, govt approved construction of three bridges across the Ganga and Yamuna rivers and is providing Rs 562 crore for it.Shastri Bridge, connecting Purvanchal to Prayagraj, is seeking an alternative due to increased traffic. It was closed twice in past year for repairs. As an alternative, approval was granted to build a 2,500-metre bridge across the Ganga river adjacent to this bridge.Similarly, to connect Prayagraj with Madhya Pradesh and Chitrakoot, a 1,100-metre bridge, parallel to the old Naini Bridge, across the Yamuna River, from Madoka to Karailbag, is required. A budget of Rs 157.05 crore was allocated for this bridge in state govt’s budget. Additionally, Rs 42.42 lakh was allocated for the Ram Setu to be built across the Yamuna River. A provision of more than Rs 300 crore was also made in budget released by state govt for the construction of a 4-lane bridge on the Ganga from Salori to Hetapatti.
