Patna: Traffic diversions have come into force since Thursday on Gandhi Setu, where work is at an advance stage.

The decision was taken at a meeting Patna traffic superintendent of police P.K. Das held with Vaishali superintendent of police (SP) Rakesh Kumar at the Ganga bridge police station on Wednesday.

"Vehicles coming from north Bihar, including private and government vehicles, will be asked to move towards JP Setu from Muzaffarpur itself," Das said. "Those vehicles cannot go onto Gandhi Setu. Vehicles from Hajipur can use Gandhi Setu or the pontoon bridge in the prescribed time frame."

As of now, the pontoon bridge parallel to Gandhi Setu functions from Hajipur to Patna between 6am and 1pm and from Patna to Hajipur between 1.30pm and 6pm. No vehicle is allowed after 6pm, as there is no lighting on the bridge.

The decision has been taken, as restructuring work on the Gandhi Setu has reached pillar number 28 out of 46. Its western flank is completely closed, even to two-wheelers.

Das said ambulances were getting stuck on Gandhi Setu. The new diversion will keep traffic on the 5.575km-long bridge smooth.

The ministry of road transport & highways (MORTH) is carrying out restructuring of the Setu. It has selected AFCONS-SIBMOST JV to execute the project. Rehabilitation work entails dismantling the Setu superstructure and replacing it with a steel one at a cost of Rs 1,382.40 crore. The date for project completion is May 18, 2020. The agency is now dismantling the western flank and it is likely to be ready by December 2018.

"From December 30, tractors and trolleys would not be allowed to pass over the Gandhi Setu and adequate number of traffic police have been deployed at 12 places, from the BSNL roundabout in Hajipur to Gandhi Setu's pillar number 28," Das said.