Haridwar, May 29 -- The 1.5-kilometre-long Chandi Ghat bridge over the Ganga river is finally nearing completion after nearly five years since construction began, officials familiar with the project said. According to officials, 97% of the construction work has been completed, and the bridge is expected to open to regular traffic ahead of the monsoonal Kanwar pilgrimage. With the Kanwar fair beginning on July 10, final-stage work is being carried out at a rapid pace to ensure the bridge meets its completion deadline ahead of the Shravan Kanwar Yatra. "The Chandi Ghat bridge is almost complete and will be opened after final testing before the Kanwar fair to ensure a smooth flow of traffic and Kanwariyas during the two-week-long pilgrimage," said Vandita, Project Director of the NHAI Najibabad Project, who goes by her first name. "Due to some technical issues, construction was delayed. However, work is now underway on a wall adjacent to the bridge pillar on the Chandi Ghat Square side to address these glitches," she said The bridge, under construction since early 2021 at a cost of Rs.57 crore, runs parallel to the old Indira Gandhi Setu over the Ganga, which was built in 1974. It was originally slated for completion by June 2022, said officials. However, the deadline was repeatedly extended-to March 2023, then September 2023, and again to December 2023-due to various challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, shortage of raw materials, technical and design issues, and the contractor's focus on other stretches of the Najibabad-Haridwar four-lane highway project. Haridwar city legislator Madan Kaushik credited the BJP-led central and state governments for improving road connectivity across Uttarakhand. "It is good news that the Chandi Ghat bridge is nearing completion. Once operational, it will play a vital role during the Mahakumbh, Ardh Kumbh, Kanwar fair, and other holy occasions when lakhs of devotees travel from Kumaon and western Uttar Pradesh to Haridwar, particularly to the sanctum sanctorum of Brahmakund at Har-ki-Pauri," Kaushik said. The new bridge lies just 800 metres from Har-ki-Pauri and connects the NH-72 and NH-58 highways in Haridwar....