Archive · 20 Sep 2026
Gujarat CM inaugurates new bridge nearly year after collapse
A bridge near Gambhira village broke apart on July 9, 2025.
Several vehicles fell into the Mahisagar River, and 22 people died.
The Gujarat government faced criticism over the bridge’s inspection.
It approved a new two-lane bridge to provide a safer connection between Anand and Vadodara.
Nearly a year later, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel opened the new bridge.
He also launched other development projects in Vadodara district.
One of them was a memorial for Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
The memorial includes a large statue, museum, library and auditorium.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated a new bridge connecting Anand and Vadodara nearly a year after the Gambhira bridge collapse.
A section of the roughly 40-year-old bridge collapsed on July 9, 2025, sending several vehicles into the Mahisagar River and killing 22 people.
The state government approved a parallel two-lane bridge and sanctioned Rs 212 crore after the tragedy.
The inauguration was part of projects worth Rs 1,297 crore announced in Vadodara district.
Patel also inaugurated the Rs 29 crore Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Sankalp Bhoomi Memorial, featuring a statue, museum, digital show, library and auditorium.
- Who
- Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the bridge; the collapse killed 22 people.
- What
- A new parallel two-lane bridge was inaugurated after the older Gambhira bridge section collapsed.
- When
- The collapse occurred on July 9, 2025; the new bridge was inaugurated nearly a year later.
- Where
- The bridge is near Gambhira village over the Mahisagar River, connecting Anand and Vadodara.
- Why
- The replacement was built after the collapse that killed 22 people and prompted criticism over bridge-inspection lapses.
Public criticism
Government response
Bridge safety and accountability
Public criticism
The government faced severe public criticism over alleged lapses in inspecting the roughly 40-year-old bridge before its collapse.
Government response
Officials said the government approved and funded a parallel two-lane bridge after the tragedy, and the chief minister inaugurated it nearly a year later.
Development priorities
Public criticism
The scale of the development announcements follows a tragedy in which 22 people died, keeping safety concerns central to public attention.
Government response
Bhupendra Patel presented the bridge, housing projects and other works as part of a broader effort to improve citizens’ well-being and bring communities into development.
- Deaths in collapse
- 22 people
- Collapse date
- July 9, 2025
- Replacement bridge
- Parallel two-lane bridge connecting Anand and Vadodara
- Bridge project cost
- Rs 212 crore
- Total projects announced
- Rs 1,297 crore
- Ambedkar memorial cost
- Around Rs 29 crore
- Housing projects
- 593 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana