Ahmedabad Infrastructure Tender Draws Limited Interest
Ahmedabad’s ageing transport infrastructure is facing fresh uncertainty as the city administration prepares to reissue a tender for the long-delayed Subhash Bridge repair project, following a lacklustre response from contractors. The prolonged closure of the bridge, a vital east–west connector across the Sabarmati River, has intensified congestion across several arterial corridors, raising concerns about urban resilience, procurement efficiency, and maintenance of legacy assets.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is expected to float a fresh short-term tender after its initial call attracted only a single bidder. Civic officials indicated that the limited response prevented competitive evaluation, delaying the award process for a project that was positioned as an urgent intervention. The bridge has remained shut to all traffic since early December after structural distress was identified during routine monitoring. Technical assessments conducted by independent academic institutions revealed settlement issues in one of the central spans, prompting authorities to restrict access as a precautionary measure. The findings underscored the vulnerabilities of mid-20th-century infrastructure now operating far beyond its originally anticipated traffic loads, particularly in rapidly motorising cities like Ahmedabad. Subhash Bridge, operational since the early 1970s, plays a critical role in connecting residential and commercial clusters on both sides of the river. Its closure has diverted traffic towards already saturated junctions, including major transport nodes and riverfront roads.
Urban mobility experts note that such choke points disproportionately affect public transport users, freight movement, and emergency response times, amplifying economic and social costs. AMC’s restoration plan includes structural rehabilitation and the construction of two-lane flanks along the existing bridge deck. Officials had earlier projected a nine-month construction timeline following contract finalisation. However, the need to re-tender has introduced uncertainty around schedules, cost escalation, and interim traffic management. Industry experts point to broader challenges affecting civic infrastructure projects nationwide. Rising material costs, tighter compliance norms, and risk-averse contracting environments have reduced appetite for specialised repair works, especially when timelines are compressed. For cities pursuing climate-resilient and resource-efficient infrastructure, delayed maintenance can significantly increase long-term carbon and financial footprints.
Urban planners argue that the episode highlights the need for proactive asset management frameworks, rather than reactive repairs. Regular structural audits, transparent procurement pipelines, and phased rehabilitation strategies are increasingly seen as essential to sustaining older bridges while minimising disruption to city life. As AMC prepares to reinitiate the tendering process, the outcome will be closely watched by residents, contractors, and policy observers alike. Beyond restoring a single bridge, the project has become a test case for how Indian cities adapt legacy infrastructure to contemporary demands safely, efficiently, and with people-first urban mobility at the centre.
