Dawki bridge construction

SHILLONG, JULY 24: The Ministry Road Transport and Highways (MRTH) has decided to implement the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode to ensure that construction of the new Dawki bridge along the international border in Meghalaya’s Jaintia hills district is speed up.

The project has remained stagnant for the last four years since the foundation stone was laid by Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mahadev Singh Khandela way back in 2009.

“The Ministry is now preparing to go with the EPC mode to ensure the project takes off and completed within a timeframe,” Meghalaya PWD Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said.

According to Dhar, the decision was taken after the project had to be retender many times due to non availability of eligible bidders.
In 2010, there were three bidders who had submitted their tenders for implementing the project but were rejected after they failed to qualify with the prescribed norms of the ministry, Dhar informed.

“We had to recall the tender again on 2011, but this time also the same bidders applied and were again rejected,” Dhar said. According to him the main reason for the delay in the construction of the bridge at Dawki was the non availability of qualified bidder.
The 165-m RRC bridge on Umngot river, once completed, will replace the single-lane British era suspension bridge that was built in 1932 as the overland link between the then province of East Bengal and Assam.
The new bridge, estimated at Rs 23.12 crore, was earlier expected to be completed within 2011 which has already lapsed.
The two lane bridge will help shorten the distance between Bangladesh and India as at present only light vehicles are allowed to ply on the existing suspension bridge. It will also facilitate trade activities, particularly movement of coal trucks.
If the bridge is completed, heavy vehicles plying to and fro Bangladesh, especially commercial ones, don’t have to take the longer route via Jowai, an official informed.
Meanwhile, Dhar informed the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Minister would soon visit Assam to review the projects in the NE.
“The minister is visiting the region on August 2, and we are likely to take up the matter pertaining to bridge with him,” Dhar said.- By Our Reporter