AMC U-turn: ‘Experts say Subhash Bridge reconstruction, not repair, best option’

4 min readAhmedabadJun 24, 2026 10:39 PM IST

Subhash Bridge over the Sabarmati River. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

In a major U-turn, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Wednesday said the city body was exploring options to demolish Subhash Bridge across the Sabarmati River and construct a new one in its place after experts “unanimously” opined that “it is the best option in the long run.”

Earlier in December 2025, the AMC had announced a comprehensive plan for the restoration of Subhash Bridge along with the construction of new 2-lane bridges on both sides of the existing bridge.

The bridge, constructed in 1973, a critical nerve connecting eastern and western parts of the city, was closed for traffic movement on December 4 last year after it developed cracks. The demolition work of its superstructure is in progress.

Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani on Wednesday said experts, citing the condition of the pillars, have advised against the maintenance plan.

“A detailed technical investigation of the Subhash Bridge was conducted by experts from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and IIT Gandhinagar and Mahesh Tandon, a renowned bridge specialist. According to the study and report of these experts, if a new superstructure is constructed on the existing old substructure and piers, some technical limitations and challenges may arise in achieving the design life of 100 years,” Pani said.

“After cement concrete spalling was observed in some piers during the technical assessment of the existing structure of the bridge, the corporation had an extensive site investigation and study conducted with the help of experts from IIT Roorkee, IIT Gandhinagar and Mahesh Tandon,” he said.

“All the experts have unanimously expressed the opinion that if the existing old piers and superstructure are completely removed and a new structure is built in its place, a safer, more sustainable and effective solution can be found in the long run,” the AMC chief added.

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Pani added that based on the opinion of the experts, the AMC is currently analysing the cost difference between the two options, the time frame for completion of the work, the lifespan of the entire project and other technical issues. In addition, the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department will also verify the new design and carry out the necessary process, he said.

Pani said the AMC is working expeditiously at all levels to complete the reconstruction of the bridge as soon as possible and to provide the city a “long-term, safe and modern bridge”.

A final decision in this regard will be taken in the coming days after the completion of the technical study and various analyses.

Maintenance plan

The over 50-year-old bridge near the Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport was earlier announced to be restored, based on the structural inspection report. The AMC also announced a comprehensive plan at an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore, with Rs 100 crore only for restoration. The maintenance was to be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the existing superstructure of the bridge was to be completely removed and replaced with a new superstructure. In the second phase, new 2-lane bridges were to be constructed on both sides of the existing bridge at the same level.