Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Sudarshan Setu, a four-lane cable-stayed bridge connecting Okha to Beyt Dwarka island in Gujarat.
According to an official statement from the Devbhumi Dwarka administration, the bridge spans 2.32 kilometres, with a central double-span cable-stayed portion covering 900 metres, accompanied by a 2.45-kilometre-long approach road.
Constructed for Rs 979 crore, the bridge boasts a width of 27.20 metres, featuring 2.50-metre-wide footpaths on either side. Originally dubbed the ‘Signature Bridge,’ the structure has been renamed ‘Sudarshan Setu’ or Sudarshan Bridge, District Magistrate (DM) GT Pandya told news agency PTI.
Beyt Dwarka, located near Okha port approximately 30 kilometres from Dwarka town, is home to the revered Dwarkadhish temple of Lord Krishna. Currently, devotees travelling to the temple at Beyt Dwarka are restricted to daytime boat journeys. However, with the completion of the bridge, officials anticipate round-the-clock accessibility to the temple.
In addition to inaugurating the bridge, PM Modi plans to visit Dwarka town to offer prayers at the Dwarkadhish temple and address a large gathering nearby later in the day.
Following the ceremony, the PM is scheduled to inaugurate and lay the foundation for various projects in Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Porbandar districts, including the electrification of a 533-kilometre railway line and the inauguration of two offshore pipelines under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas at Vadinar.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also announced that PM Modi will inaugurate five All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) campuses in Rajkot (Gujarat), Bathinda (Punjab), Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh), Kalyani (West Bengal), and Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh) during a public event in Rajkot.