The tender states that the construction will be taken up on a ‘build-operate-transfer’ basis which means that the concessionaire will raise the revenue to cover the construction cost by charging a fee for use of the towers by visitors.
The Zuari cable stayed bridge is 640 m long with central navigational span of 360 m and end span on both sides of 140 m. This makes the bridge the second longest and widest cable stay bridge in India.
The Union ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) recently issued a new tender for the construction of twin towers with a revolving observatory atop the new eight-lane Zuari bridge.
The tender states that the construction will be taken up on a ‘build-operate-transfer’ basis.
The towers are being planned as a tourist attraction and being constructed on a ‘BOT’ basis means that the concessionaire will raise the revenue to cover the construction cost by charging a fee for use of the towers by visitors.
Earlier, tenders had been floated for the construction of the twin towers, however, due to the pandemic and other reasons, the contractor could not be finalised.
The design of the towers and the revolving observatory will be drawn and finalised once the contractor is appointed, reports Times of India.
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for MoRTH, wants the design of the towers to be unique and different from any other such attractions anywhere in the world.
The Twin Tourist Observatory Towers
Gadkari had earlier stated that the towers atop the new eight-lane bridge are expected to rival the Eiffel tower as an international tourist attraction.
For this proposed development, the bridge pylons have already been constructed in a manner that can support the construction of the two towers.
As per the plans, parking space will be created below the bridge on the northern banks, on the Agassaim side of the Zuari, where presently offices of the bridge construction contractor are located.
Visitors will travel to the base of the towers via a walkway from the parking area. At the base, they will take high-speed lifts to travel up to the observatory.
There are also plans to set up a gallery with displays on Goa’s history and heritage in the towers.
A restaurant or café is also being planned. It is expected that each tower can accommodate around 500 tourists at a time. Each tower is expected to be at least 110 m high from the water level.
Beautifying with two tourist observatory towers, revolving restaurant, and an art gallery, the iconic bridge will be a major contributor to state tourism.
Second Longest Cable Stayed Bridge
The first phase of the New Zuari Bridge across River Zuari connecting Bambolim in North Goa to Verna junction in South Goa was inaugurated on 29 December, 2022.
The foundation stone of the project was laid down in January 2016 and was initially scheduled to be completed within three years.
The eight-lane cable-stayed bridge is part of a Rs 2,530 crore project with a total project length of 13.20 km.
The Zuari cable stayed bridge is 640 m long with central navigational span of 360 m and end span on both sides of 140 m.
This makes the bridge the second longest and widest cable stay bridge in India.
The work order was bagged by Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon Limited (DBL) which has joined hands with a Ukraine based company, Mostobudivelnyi Zahin Limited (MBZ), to construct the cable stay bridge.