Unavailability of land to complete the approach road to the Sonepur-Digha rail-cum-road bridge from the Sonepur side has put a question mark over the timely completion of the key project.
Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, who helms the road construction department, had set June 2017 as the deadline for completion of the approach road on both sides so that the road deck of the bridge can be used for connecting the state capital with north Bihar districts.
While the approach road for the road deck from the Patna side is expected to be completed by mid-February, only 36 per cent of the land required to construct the approach road from the Sonepur side has been acquired.
The Sonepur-Digha rail-cum-road bridge is important for Patna as the Gandhi Setu is in a bad shape and its rehabilitation work is not likely to be complete before three years.
The road construction department has handed over construction of the approach road to its two wings, Bihar State Road Development Corporation (BSRDC) and Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Ltd (BRPNNL).
The BSRDC is looking after the approach road on the south - the Patna side - and BRPNN is looking after the approach road on the north from Sonepur (Saran).
"By mid-February, we will complete the approach road work. Our side was easier to complete because there was no issue of acquiring land," said a senior BSRDC official.
On the Patna side, Rs 76 crore is being spent for the construction of a 2km road. Similarly, the Sonepur side has a 5km approach road, for which the budget is Rs 244 crore. The road over the bridge has already been completed by the railways. Now it is the turn of the state government to complete the approach roads.
Once rehabilitation work starts on Gandhi Setu this month, commuters will face problems as the western portion will be disturbed most of the time resulting in congestion on the eastern flank.
Though one pontoon bridge is coming up parallel to the Setu, only small vehicles can use it. Heavy vehicles will continue to use the Gandhi Setu until the approach road of the Digha-Sonepur bridge is completed.
Project engineer of Patna 1 Sunil Kumar, who is looking after the approach road from Sonepur, said: "We have just acquired 36 per cent of land and we need to construct a 2.56km road from Pehleza to Hariharnath after which the approach road can become functional. The total length of the approach road is 5.356km but initially we just need to construct the 2.56-km road."
"If we do not face problem in acquiring land, we will be able to complete it by June 2017; otherwise, the project would be delayed," he added.
On February 3 last year, the railways started a train service over the bridge. Later, to reduce the load of vehicles on the Setu, the railways launched a service in which loaded trucks were carried by railway wagons to their destination. But the truck owners later refused to take this service, saying it was expensive.
Saran district magistrate Deepak Anand said work on the bridge will be completed on time. "There was delay due to the Sonepur fair but the approach road will be completed by June 2017. There will be no problem in acquiring land," Anand said.
Tejashwi said: "I am aware of the issue related to the approach road of Digha-Sonepur bridge and I've given instructions to complete work by June or July. We need to have the bridge functional once the Setu revamp starts."
