Burma teak to add strength to Dandi bridge

The historic Dandi bridge in the city, from which Gandhi began his struggle against the British salt law, is getting a much-needed makeover. As part of the restoration, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will use imported teakwood to replace the old, worn out parts of the bridge.

Restoration work began on Tuesday (September 18) after the wood was brought to the city from Kandla port. Elaborating on the restoration work, a heritage department official, requesting anonymity, said, “The wooden parts of the bridge have deteriorated and are too old to hold up now. We have planned to replace the wooden parts with teak wood which will be an exact replica of the old one.”

A total 70 cubic metres of teak wood will be used (teak wood is weighed in cubic metres). The restoration will take six months. The heritage official added they would do their best to ensure that restoration work stayed true to the original. Teakwood was used when the bridge was constructed around 1915 too.

The bridge, made of iron and wooden slabs, has been in a state of disrepair for a while. Much hue and cry was raised on April 17 when a pile of garbage dumped below the bridge caught fire. It was then that the AMC initiated the work of restoring the bridge. The makeover plan includes restoring the bridge and developing the surrounding area.

The first phase will involve restoring the bridge and sprucing it up. Restoration work will include replacing the wooden deck of the bridge and strengthening the iron parts. “We will later work on developing the surrounding landscape,” said the heritage department official.