Mahad bridge opens 10 months after fall

A new bridge on Savitri river in adjoining Raigad district today opened for vehicular traffic, almost 10 months after the old British-era bridge collapsed on August 2 last year.
Nearly 26 people had died last year after two State Transport buses and some other vehicles fell in the swollen river following the bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad in Raigad district, about 170 kms from here.
The British-era bridge was to be dismantled in December 2016 as part of Mumbai-Goa Highway expansion project.
The highways ministry and the state public works department have now built a three-lane bridge in 165 days.

The new bridge, thrown open for public use from today, has been built alongside the British-era bridge that was washed away during the rains last year.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Surface Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari were present at the inauguration of the new bridge.

Gadkari expressed hope that there won't be any accidents on this bridge.
Fadnavis said that four-laning work on the Mumbai-Goa highway will be completed in 2019.
Meanwhile, bridge projects worth over Rs 4,500 crore were launched today by the state government.
These include projects in the Raigad section of Mumbai-Goa highway worth Rs 3,812 crore, besides a slew of other infrastructure works.