Jeypore, Feb, 19:: After being cancelled three times, the tender has been issued again. Two bidders have participated in the fourth tender. A new bridge will be constructed over the Kolab River near Patriput. In the first phase, the technical bid has been opened. After the financial bid is opened, it will be clear which contractor will take up the construction work.
An agreement will be signed with the contractor after opening the financial bid
The estimated cost of the project is ₹19 crore
According to the department, work will start after the agreement is finalized with the eligible contractor. A new design has been prepared for this purpose, with a cost estimate of Rs19 crore. Since the old iron bridge is in a dangerous condition, various organizations had repeatedly demanded and protested for a new bridge, leading authorities to take fresh steps.
The iron bridge over the Kolab River near Patriput was built during the British period, about 115 years ago. Earlier it was under the Works Department and later the road was handed over to the National Highways Department. For many years, no maintenance has been carried out. The road surface on the bridge has been damaged, and miscreants have stolen many iron angles from the structure. As a result, the bridge is now in a risky condition.
There had long been a demand for another bridge near the old iron bridge. The National Highways Department had planned it and invited tenders about three years ago. No one participated in the first two tenders.
In the third attempt, a contractor from Chhattisgarh got the tender and even set up a camp and began pillar work in the Kolab River. However, the work could not progress for various reasons and remained closed for two years. After repeated notices, the National Highways Department cancelled the contract due to non-performance.
After the cancellation, no immediate step was taken to float a fresh tender, which led to public dissatisfaction. The Kolab Bridge Protection Forum demanded maintenance of the old bridge and construction of a new one and submitted a memorandum to the Sub-Collector. When no action followed, the forum staged a protest near the Kolab Bridge last November and blocked National Highway No. 326. The National Highways Department assured the protesters that testing and maintenance of the old bridge would be done soon. Following this, the tender process has now been restarted.
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