PRAYAGRAJ, July 29 -- Vehicles are likely to begin using the under-construction six-lane bridge over the Ganga in Prayagraj from the second week of November, marking a significant boost to the city's road infrastructure. Built at a cost of over Rs.1,947 crore, the bridge is expected to ease persistent traffic congestion on the existing Ganga bridge and enhance crowd management during major religious gatherings such as the Kumbh, Mahakumbh and Magh Mela, officials said. According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), nearly 94% of the construction work on the 9.8-km bridge connecting Stanley Road and Malak Harhar has been completed. The remaining work includes construction of the toll plaza cross barrier and laying of the bituminous surface. Despite the ongoing flood season, officials said the project is progressing on schedule. NHAI project manager Vaibhav Varshney said construction is progressing rapidly across all sections of the bridge and is expected to be completed by the end of September. "Trial runs are likely to be conducted in the first or second week of October, after which the bridge is expected to be handed over by October 31. If the timeline is adhered to, it is likely to be opened for vehicular traffic in November," he said. Officials and Singla Construction Company representatives said riverbed work is complete and remaining superstructure work, above river level, is unlikely to be disrupted by floods. The bridge, UP's longest using cantilever hanging bridge technology, will have 98 pillars, including 71 in the Ganga, and five spans. It is 9.80 km long, with the total project length from Mumford Ganj to Malak Harhar around 12 km....