Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated India’s longest cable-stayed bridge, Sudarshan Setu, of 2.32 km, on the Arabian sea connecting Beyt Dwarka island to mainland Okha in Gujarat's Devbhumi Dwarka district.
PM Modi began his day by offering prayers at Lord Sri Krishna temple at Beyt Dwarka.
Built at the cost of Rs 979 crore, and funded by the Union government, the bridge spans 4,772 meters in total, featuring a 900-meter-long cable-stayed section, as per the official release.
After the Union Territory of Diu situated along the Una coast in Gir Somnath, Bet Dwarka stands as the second largest island off the Gujarat coast. Presently, the sole mode of transportation linking Bet Dwarka to mainland Gujarat is the ferry boat service operating from Dwarka to Okha, the closest mainland point.
Features of the bridge:
- Signature Bridge will offer uninterrupted road connectivity to the island.
- It is upheld by 32 piers, sustaining seven cable-stayed spans measuring 900 meters each.
- The four-lane 27.20-meter-wide bridge has 2.50-meter-wide footpaths on each side.
- Solar panels serve as the roofing for these walkways.
Beyt Dwarka is an island near Okha port, which is nearly 30 km from Dwarka town, where the famous Dwarkadhish temple of Lord Krishna is situated.
At present, devotees visiting the temple at Beyt Dwarka can travel only during the day by boat, while the construction of the bridge will allow them to travel at all times, officials said.
The bridge, an integral component of National Highway 51 traversing the Saurashtra coastline, was constructed by the NH division of the Gujarat Roads and Buildings Department.
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