UP to have 125 bridges by March

Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Ltd (UPSBC) proposes to complete 125 bridges in the state by the end of this financial year.

The state government has sanctioned a total amount of Rs 325 crore. This includes bridges over both minor and major rivers.

In 2003-04, the proposed number of bridges for UP was 110 and the sanctioned amount was Rs 186 crore. However, only 51 bridges could be completed. The number of completed bridges rose to a striking 151 in the following year.

The corporation had planned 282 bridges for the year 2005-06. Out of this number only 101 bridges could be completed and the rest will be completed by the end of the current financial year, 2006-07.

"The work is in progress and we will achieve our target in time. We have completed some of the important bridges in Lucknow. One of them at Gomti barrage at a cost of Rs. 3,314.17 lakh. It involves the construction of 272metre long six lane footpath and cycle track along with 650 metre connecting roads. The work is in progress and will be completed by March 2007,"said Rajesh Chandra, joint Managing Director UPSBCL.

The state government has released an amount of Rs 16.5 crore for the completion of different projects in Lucknow in 2006-07. A total number of eight bridges will be completed by March 2007.

"Generally government does not take up assignments relating to major bridges. The tenure for such bridges is approx. 2 to 4 years depending upon the width of the river, also it involves a lot of hard work," informed Chandra.

UPSBC has already completed a major bridge at river Yamuna at Kachaura Ghat, Auraiya.

Another at Betwa River in Jhansi will be completed next month.

Besides these, three or four major bridges are lined up to be completed by the 2007.

The main theme and activities of UPSBC is to provide a strong support in the field of bridge and highways construction and consultancy in design, planning and maintenance which has a large scope not only in our country but also abroad.

The construction activities of UPSBC are not only spread over UP and other States.

It has constructed a number of bridges and roads in Iraq, Yemen and Nepal and earned a good reputation and brought in a huge foreign currency for the country.