Slow pace of reconstructing Rigo Bridge troubles commuters

Reconstruction of the historic Rigo Bridge is going on at a snail’s pace. There has been only 25 per cent progress in the bridge construction work over the past 15 months. The project was awarded to a Chandigarh-based firm with a two-year deadline for its completion.

At present, the construction of side pillars on both ends of the bridge is underway. The old iron structure over railway tracks was dismantled, for which rail traffic was partially suspended for around five days.

Once completed, the new bridge is expected to bring major relief to city residents by easing traffic congestion and reducing travel time. Being built at a cost of Rs 50 crore, the bridge will span 530 metres. It will have two carriageways of 7.5 metre each, 1.5 metre wide footpaths on both sides and a one metre wide central verge. This time, the bridge is being expanded into a four-lane structure. The Railway authorities have already acquired nearby land for the expansion of the bridge. Several pillars have been constructed in the newly acquired areas.

The original bridge was constructed by the British Government in 1905 with a designed lifespan of 50 years. Although a plan was made to rebuild it in 1955, it was never implemented. After India got independence, commuters continued to use the bridge despite its deteriorating condition.

Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Railway Colony, said, “The bridge has become an integral part of our lives. Now that it is being rebuilt, we all hope it will finally put an end to the long wait in traffic jams. However, the construction work is progressing quite slowly. We believe that with better administrative focus, the bridge construction will be completed soon.”

Simranjit Kaur, a college student residing nearby, shared, “The ongoing bridge construction is causing a lot of inconvenience, often forcing us to take long detours. We just hope that the work is completed within the promised time-frame.”

Meanwhile, the staff of the construction firm claimed that everything was proceeding according to plan. “The bridge reconstruction is expected to be completed within the next one and a half years,” they said.