Tejeshwi inaugurates Pontoon bridge parallel to Gandhi Setu

Speed Post News Network

Patna : Deputy CM Tejeshwi Prasad Yadav on February 18 inaugurated the world’s longest piped (Pontoon) bridge over river Ganga parallel to Mahatma Gandhi Setu at a function held at village Chhaukia under Tesariya panchayat in Vaishali.

He said Asian Development Bank (ADB) would give Rs 3,000 crore as loan for construction of world’s longest bridge over Ganga linking Bidhupur in Vaishali and Deedarganj, Patna. The rest of the cost of Rs 5,000 crore would be borne by the state government. Senior officials in the road construction department said the length of the pontoon bridge is 1.5 km comprising 157 pontoons. It has been built at a cost of Rs 89 crore.

Tejashwi, who is also the Road Construction Department Minister, said that the pontoon bridge had been built and dedicated to the public within a short span of time keeping in mind the dilapidated condition of Mahatma Gandhi setu and the frequent jam on it. Chhaukia village falls under Raghopur Assembly constituency in Vaishali district represented by Tejeshwi.

The pontoon bridge, whose overall length including approach road from both sides is around 6 km, has been opened for four-wheelers and three-wheelers from Hajipur side to Patna from 6 am to 6 pm. Motorcycles would be allowed to ply to and fro, official sources said.