Bhadrachalam bridge work to begin shortly

Work on the much-awaited second bridge across the Godavari in Bhadrachalam will commence shortly.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will lay foundation for the new bridge across the river in the temple town on April 1.

The bridge, which is set to come up as part of the National Highway 221 (New NH No 30), is expected to reduce traffic congestion on the vital road link connecting Vijayawada in the residuary Andhra Pradesh and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

Initial work on the new bridge like soil testing has already begun. The physical work on the bridge will formally kick off on April 1.

Traffic bottleneck

The new bridge was necessitated as the existing five-decades old narrow bridge has virtually become a traffic bottleneck on the crucial inter-State road link.

According to official sources, Mr Gadkari will proceed from Bhadrachalam to V M Banjara in Penuballi mandal by a chopper in the afternoon on April 1.

Foundation

He will lay foundation for upgradation of the Telangana State stretch of the NH 221 at V M Banjara. The works will be taken up under the National Highway Development Project-IV in the EPC mode. Meanwhile, the BJP district president K Sridhar Reddy said the upcoming new bridge in Bhadrachalam and upgradation of the NH-221 will help significantly improve inter-State road connectivity between Telangana, residuary AP, Chhattisgarh and Odisha States.