BHOPAL: After missing four deadlines, finally the cable stay bridge connecting Kamla Park with VIP road has been dedicated to public on Friday. On a day when Prime Minister Modi led-NDA government was celebrating its three years in office, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the bridge.
The 300 metre Raja Bhoj Setu (Cable Stay bridge) is a new landmark on the city’s landscape. It will help de-congest traffic on the Kamla Park-VIP road and help connect Old and New Bhopal areas.
Addressing the gathering, Chouhan said Bhopal has added another feather in its cap in the form of Raja Bhoj Setu. “We all are celebrating three successful years completed by Prime Minister Modi in office. It is the time to enjoy every moment,” said Chouhan.
The chief minister said the government will be opening ITIs of international standard which will benefit around 7.5 lakh students.
The cable stay bridge was originally pegged at Rs 29.47 crore, but delays and price escalation over the years have pushed the final cost to Rs 40 crore.
State BJP president Nandkumar Chouhan said the bridge will be a milestone for Bhopal in the future. “Bhopal has proved its strong presence at the national level by being second cleanest city in the country during the recent swachh survey. This bridge is another important landmark,” said Chouhan.
He also praised the BMC officials for their excellent work in completing the bridge.
Mayor, Alok Sharma said the bridge will be among the best features of Bhopal. “Like other important places this bridge will attract people. This is a big day for Bhopal,” he said.
Welcoming the opening of the bridge people said, “This was log-awaited. People like me, who have to commute through the area on a daily basis were fed-up with traffic jams and congestion. It will be a big help in improving the traffic connecting Old Bhopal with the New Bhopal,” said Nishant Yadav, a bank employee.
Historian Rizwanuddin Ansari said, the bridge would mark a major transformation on Upper Lake. The city’s first bridge-cum-check dam, the Pul Pukhta, was constructed in 1749 AD and a new suburb Jehangirabad was added in 1840 AD, he said.
People suggested that there should also be traffic police post to help people. “I hope people will not use the bridge as a suicide point like others spots on VIP road we have seen in the past,” said Anjali Verma, a housewife who came to see the inauguration.
