Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Bridge in Visakhapatnam to be closed to traffic for about 9 months

The Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) has announced that the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Bridge (Parallel Bridge) near the Naval Dockyard will be closed for extensive repairs. The repairs will reportedly last for at least nine months, according to a statement by The Hindu. The repair works were initially supposed to begin on 1 April 2024. However, with the onset of the 2024 elections and due to other reasons, the repairs were postponed. Presently, the repairs are set to take effect within a day or two. Accordingly, the bridge, a crucial link between the industrial area and the main city, will be off-limits to all vehicles, including two-wheelers and ambulances.

Commuters will need to use an alternative route opposite the dockyard gate, which will add an extra six kilometres to their journey. In September 2019, the Visakhapatnam Port closed the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Bridge to heavy vehicles, following recommendations from the Chennai-based consultant CSIR-SERC. The consultancy’s field investigations and load tests on four bridges owned by the port revealed that the bridge had a low load rating, suitable only for light motor vehicles.

The VPA has already notified the managements of various industries, the RTC, district officials, and the police about the impending closure.

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