No more Kumbh traffic woes! Prayagraj's new 9.8-km Ganga bridge is opening in November — and it could change the city forever

Vehicles are expected to begin using Prayagraj's new six-lane bridge over the Ganga from the second week of November — built at a cost of over ₹1,947 crore and set to become Uttar Pradesh's longest bridge constructed using cantilever hanging bridge technology. (Credit: SPS Construction)

According to NHAI, nearly 94% of the construction work on the 9.8-km bridge connecting Stanley Road and Malak Harhar has been completed. The remaining work includes construction of the toll plaza cross barrier and laying of the bituminous surface — with the project progressing on schedule.

NHAI project manager Vaibhav Varshney confirmed: "Construction is expected to be completed by end of September. Trial runs are likely in October, after which the bridge is expected to be handed over by October 31. If the timeline is adhered to, it will open for vehicular traffic in November."

The structure has 98 pillars — including 71 constructed within the Ganga — and five spans designed to distribute load efficiently. While the bridge itself is 9.80 km long, the total project length from Mumford Ganj to Malak Harhar including approach roads is approximately 12 km.

Officials confirmed floodwaters are unlikely to disrupt remaining work. Representatives of Singla Construction Company stated all riverbed-related work has been completed and only superstructure work remains — which is above the river level and therefore unaffected by seasonal flooding.

The bridge is expected to ease persistent traffic congestion on the existing Ganga bridge and significantly enhance crowd management during major religious gatherings — including the Kumbh, Mahakumbh and Magh Mela events that draw millions of pilgrims to Prayagraj annually.