Steel bridge projects put on hold temporarily

Citing lukewarm response from bidders for the proposed steel bridges in the city, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has decided to ask the government to relax eligibility criteria by amending GO 94.

The corporation had decided to construct two steel bridges from Indira Park to VST junction and Nalgonda crossroads to Owaisi Junction under the Strategic Road Development Plan and invited tenders. According to a civic body official, there were no qualified bidders to take up construction of the steel bridges. Not even a single bidder participated when tenders were invited.

There are only two experienced agencies to execute the project across the country. Officials said that they would ask the government to relax the norms by giving an opportunity to small players who have experience in construction of cement concrete and steel bridges to deliver them on time.

The corporation had invited tenders for constructing the city’s longest steel bridge at an estimated cost of `298.49 crore. The 4.1 kilometrelong steel bridge would ease traffic at Nalgonda XSaidabad-IS Sadan-Owaisi Junction. The corporation has also proposed to construct another steel bridge at VST-Indira Park junction. The corridor would cross major intersections at NTR Stadium junction, Ashok Nagar junction, RTC crossroads junction, Baghlingampally and VST junctions.

While the 2.610 kms elevated corridor from Indira Park to VST junction would be constructed at a cost of `350 crore, the 0.840 km independent flyover from Ramnagar to Baghlingampally was estimated to cost `76 crore.