More Pace, Machinery Needed to Complete Delayed Subarnarekha Bridge: Saryu Roy

Jamshedpur: Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy visited the Subarnarekha bridge construction site to review progress. The four-lane road and bridge being built over the Subarnarekha River will connect Litti Chowk in Bhuiyadih to Mango NH-33.

The inspection follows several complaints from local residents regarding the slow pace of construction.

Design Revisions Caused One-Year Delay

When questioned about the sluggish progress, project engineers revealed that although the foundation stone was laid in 2024, significant design flaws halted the project.

Roy noted that construction is now active on both sides of the river:

• Litti Chowk Side: The foundations for two pillars are ready, and work is underway on the third.
• Mango Side: Laborers are currently excavating the foundations for two more pillars.

Three heavy earth-moving machines are currently operating at the site. However, the immediate challenge lies in erecting two central pillars inside the river, where water is currently flowing at a depth of about four feet.

Roy instructed the assistant engineers of the Road Construction Department and the contracting firm to deploy additional manpower and advanced machinery to establish the base of these two riverbed pillars before the monsoon arrives. He warned that once the rainy season begins, rising water levels will halt the work entirely.

Timeline and Implementation Roadmap

When Roy questioned the engineers on the final deadline, they stated that the bridge would take another year to complete.

Roy countered that the project cannot meet its one-year target at the current pace. To achieve this goal, the contractor must significantly scale up manpower and machinery. He directed the Executive Engineer of the Road Construction Department to coordinate with the contractor and accelerate operations.

According to Roy, several major tasks must progress simultaneously to avoid future roadblocks:

• Erecting the pillars inside the riverbed.
• Casting the upper superstructure according to the new design specs.
• Constructing two-kilometre-long, four-lane roads on both sides of the bridge.
• Facilitating land acquisition compensation from Tata Steel for certain affected landholders (rayats).

To ensure rapid execution, Roy announced that he will conduct regular, periodic inspections of the bridge and other developmental projects across his assembly constituency.

Transformative Regional Impact

Roy emphasized that the completed bridge will fundamentally transform local traffic logistics. All heavy vehicles coming via Kolkata and Ranchi will bypass Mango entirely by using this bridge, eliminating the heavy traffic burden currently clogging the Mango Municipal Corporation area. Most light vehicles will also shift to this route.

The project will benefit Mango the most. Just as the Dobo region witnessed rapid development following its bridge completion, the area between the Subarnarekha River and the National Highway will grow rapidly, extending economic benefits up to Galudih and Ghatshila. This expansion will also significantly relieve the population density pressure inside the core Jamshedpur.

Ward Councillor Jitendra Saw, local resident Raja Ram, and assistant engineers from both the Road Construction Department and the construction company attended the review meeting.