Ahmedabad: Missed project completion deadlines seem to have become the norm for AMC. Not one flyover or railway overbridge (ROB) commissioned in the past decade has been completed on time. The civic body may be trying to erase this dubious track record with the new eight-lane Subhash Bridge project. In a first, AMC has included a special clause in the bridge’s tender: If the project is completed ahead of schedule, the contractor will get a Rs 12 crore bonus — calculated at 5% of the current project cost of Rs 241 crore. The completion deadline has been set at 24 months. AMC wants one side of the bridge operational in 16 months from project commencement.Such clauses are usually inserted by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), giving an incentive calculated at 0.02% to 0.03% of the total project cost, paid for each day completed ahead of schedule.An AMC source said, “A Rs 241 crore contract has been awarded for the new eight-lane Subhash Bridge. As per Clause 19.20 of the tender, if the contractor completes the bridge work before AMC’s stipulated deadline, a bonus or incentive equal to 5% of the total project cost will be paid. The amount roughly comes to Rs 12.1 crore.”Subhash Bridge was demolished earlier this year after being closed to traffic in Dec 2025. AMC initially approved a two-phase tender worth Rs 236 crore to restore the bridge and build two new two-lane flanks on either side. A re-inspection in March 2026 found cracks in its pillars, leading to the bridge’s demolition.On July 17, 2026, AMC’s roads and buildings committee approved the proposal to increase costs and extend the timeline to build a new eight-lane bridge. A deadline of 24 months was fixed for the project.
