Vehicles now ply on Mahatma Gandhi Setu with ease

PATNA: Thanks to the inauguration of the renovated western flank of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu on July 31, people can now travel from Patna to North Bihar and vice versa easily. The old concrete superstructure of the bridge has been replaced with steel decks.
Vehicular traffic was quite normal on Monday as it took less than 20 minutes for the commuters to across the bridge. There was no report of traffic congestion, which was a regular feature from both ends of the bridge, earlier.
“Crossing the setu was no less than a nightmare. There would be traffic jam on Patna and Hajipur-ends despite the Covid-19 lockdown,” Prashant Kumar, a banker, told this reporter.
Monday was the first working day for office-goers after the western flank of the bridge was opened for public. They heaved a sigh of relief due to the smooth flow of vehicles. “It was a pleasure to cross the bridge without any hurdle,” said Chandra Bhushan Mishra, a businessman.Meanwhile, with the opening of the western flank, the prices of building construction materials have reduced in North Bihar region. “There has been a substantial fall in the prices of sand, bricks and stone chips due to the opening of one flank after its repair,” Narendra Singh, a building developer of Hajipur, said.
The SHO of Ganga Bridge police station, Kaushal Raj, pointed out, “The pressure on the bridge has eased as vehicles are plying on both the flanks now. The commuters may have to face problems after the repair work on the eastern flank starts.”
A senior police officer, who looks after the traffic management on the Gandhi setu, said, “The flow of vehicles will increase after the lockdown comes to an end. We will have to prepare for the situation in advance.”