Malviya Bridge renovation soon

THE LONG-PENDING renovation work at one of the oldest bridges of Northern Railway ? the Malviya Bridge across the Ganges and GT road, here will begin soon in the wake of the bridge collapse incident in Bhagalpur.

THE LONG-PENDING renovation work at one of the oldest bridges of Northern Railway — the Malviya Bridge across the Ganges and GT road, here will begin soon in the wake of the bridge collapse incident in Bhagalpur.

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This was decided in a meeting of district administration and officials of Northern Railway here on Tuesday. District Magistrate Rajiv Agrawal assured all kind of assistance to Northern Railway officials in the renovation process.

Sources said the Uttar Pradesh Bridge Corporation has agreed to submit the charges of Railway including supervision to the Northern Railway by Tuesday next week. Northern Railway officials apprised the DM about the current situation and obstacles in the renovation of Malviya Bridge.

Additional Divisional Railway Manager of Northern Railway Anil Kumar said the renovation work would start soon after the charges are submitted to the Northern Railway. He further added: “We have also agreed to ensure a ban on railway traffic over this bridge whenever the district administration asks us to do so after submission of Railway charges.”

The ADRM added that the renovation work would begin this month.

To recall, the movement of heavy and commercial vehicles has been restricted on Malviya Bridge since May 11, 2002 in wake of the poor condition of the bridge.

Earlier, known as Doffrin Bridge, this 150-year-old bridge was renovated and renamed as Malviya Bridge in 1947 and was inaugurated by the then Premier of the United Provinces Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant. Since then, no major renovation work has been carried out on the bridge.

The bridge is about one kilometre and seventy metres long and nine metres broad.