Ahmedabad, July 5 (AHN) The phased demolition of Ahmedabad's ageing Subhash Bridge reached another milestone on Sunday after five more spans, including sections over the Sabarmati river and on the Shahibaug side, were safely dismantled under strict safety measures as the civic body continued work to remove the structure.

According to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the latest phase involved the successful demolition of a total of five spans.

The operation was carried out by the contractor under the continuous supervision of experts, with constant on-site monitoring and strict adherence to prescribed safety standards and protocols throughout the exercise.

The bridge and its surrounding area were completely barricaded and declared a restricted zone during the demolition.

Public entry into the vicinity of the bridge was prohibited while the work was underway, and all necessary safety arrangements were put in place to ensure the operation was completed without incident.

"Debris removal is now in progress, and the next phase of the demolition will be taken up according to the planned schedule," officials said.

The latest demolition follows the controlled dismantling of three riverbed spans earlier this week as part of the bridge's phased removal.

Subhash Bridge, which spans the Sabarmati River and connects the western and eastern parts of Ahmedabad, was built in 1973 and measures about 454 metres in length.

It was closed to traffic in December last year after engineers detected structural settlement near one of its piers and identified cracks and other signs of deterioration.

Subsequent investigations by experts from the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology concluded that the bridge had deteriorated beyond repair, prompting the AMC to abandon an earlier restoration proposal in favour of complete demolition and reconstruction.

In a statement, the AMC said: "The work was constantly monitored on-site, and all prescribed safety standards and protocols were strictly followed, ensuring that the entire demolition process was completed in a systematic and safe manner."