Lucknow: Commuters and transporters travelling between Unnao and Kanpur via Jajmau Ganga bridge are set to face major disruption as authorities prepare for urgent structural repairs that could require more than a month of restricted traffic movement. Officials said a complete shutdown is currently being avoided because alternative routes cannot absorb the bridge’s daily traffic load.Built in the early 1970s and stretching over 700 metres, the bridge has been under heightened scrutiny since April, when plans for closure were first considered. Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) has conducted multiple safety and structural audits, advising National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake immediate rehabilitation of the superstructure due to concerns involving expansion joints, deck slabs, bearings and other components.Under the proposed traffic plan, the Kanpur-to-Unnao carriageway would remain operational, while the Unnao-to-Kanpur side would be shut to enable repairs. The bridge carries over 60,000 passenger car units daily, and officials said enforcing full-scale diversions for such volumes over an extended period could trigger severe congestion across the region.Senior administrative and traffic officials in Unnao said diverting heavy vehicles through alternatives such as Baksar Ganga bridge would add roughly 120 km. Rajesh Shukla, a trader from Purwa in Unnao, said travel between Ata Chowk in Unnao and Ramadevi crossing in Kanpur could rise from about 11 km and 20 minutes to more than 110 km and around two and a half hours, along with additional toll costs.An official said stakeholders have been informed to facilitate repairs within four weeks, noting that monsoon conditions have temporarily reduced the movement of sand-laden trucks, but pressure will increase once mining resumes.Unnao district magistrate Ghanshyam Meena said the public works department has been asked to expedite arrangements for diversions, though an incomplete railway overbridge at Saraiya and ongoing work near Baksar have emerged as another challenge. Officials said the Kanpur-to-Unnao section and Shuklaganj bridge would help manage traffic during the shutdown.
