Patna: Just three days after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the last stretch of Rs 3,831 crore JP Ganga Path—an ambitious riverside road project stretching from Digha to Didarganj in Patna—concerns were raised over what appeared to be a crack in a section of the road.
Images and reports from the Didarganj end prompted swift action from the Bihar State Road Development Corporation (BSRDC), whose engineers rushed to the site to assess the situation.
However, BSRDC Managing Director Shirshat Kapil Ashok, who personally inspected the area on Monday, dismissed the alarm, clarifying that the visible gap was not a structural fault. “There is no crack. What people are seeing is a deliberate gap between the bridge structure and the approach road,” he said, explaining that such gaps are an intentional feature of the design to accommodate expansion and contraction due to temperature variations across seasons.
He added that the gap has since been sealed by engineers to avoid further confusion, and traffic on the stretch remains unaffected.
Despite downplaying the concern, Kapil Ashok said the government is taking the issue seriously and has initiated a third-party audit to ensure the integrity of the project. “IIT will conduct a comprehensive quality check. This external review will verify that the construction meets all technical standards,” he said.
The JP Ganga Path, often referred to as Patna’s marine drive, was envisioned to ease congestion and provide a scenic alternative for commuters along the banks of the Ganges. Its opening was hailed as a major infrastructure milestone for the city.
