3rd Dhansiri Bridge to be opened for traffic

Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 9

The long awaited bridge over the Dhansiri River connecting the erstwhile Kohima Road with Purana Bazaar will be finally opened to vehicular traffic. The new 2-lane RCC beam bridge will be inaugurated on April 13 at 9:00 am by the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, as per the Urban Development Department. 

The bridge was built to replace a then existing British-era single lane Bailley bridge, which had seen its days, exposed to the elements unattended for decades. Sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Urban Development, the construction of the new bridge had started sometime in March 2010 only to come to a grounding halt 8 months into the work in November.

At the time, the estimated cost of the project was 9.26cr, while the original completion time period was 24 months. 

A mix-up, or rather ignorance, over jurisdictional control of the road/bridge caused the stalling of work, further resulting in a lawsuit filed by the contractor against the state government. To recall, the turn of events was outlined in an exclusive report published by The Morung Express in September 2013.  

By that time, almost a third of the work was said to have been complete with the contractor claiming, in court, to have invested over 3cr already at the site.  

As reported, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) raised objection on grounds that the state government did not acquire approval of the MoRTH for building the bridge as dictated by protocol. At the time, the BRO was under the control of the MoRTH.  

According to the BRO, the bridge was part of NH 29 (formerly 39) and technically, under the MoRTH.

The objection from the BRO resulted in a series of letters exchanged between the state government and the MoRTH as the work stalled. In one of the letters, the MoRTH suggested “foreclosure” of the project “and follow the prescribed procedure.”

Meanwhile, with work stalled, the contractor took legal recourse in 2012, claiming compensation for the investment.