The Bengal government has invited tenders for a Rs 154-crore repair job of the 27-year-old second Hooghly bridge that includes replacing some of its 152 cables and underwater investigation of its piers.

So far, there have been piece-meal repairs of the bridge’s external surface, including replacement of expansion joints and relaying of the bituminous surface.

Engineers said this would be the first comprehensive repair of India’s largest cable-stayed bridge spanning 823 metres in length.

The agency would have to replace “the damaged stay and holding down cables” and monitor the “structural health” of the bridge. Besides the agency would have to carry out “underwater investigation of the piers”, replace the bearings and check the pylons.

The second Hooghly bridge is built with 152 cables in a fan arrangement using steel pylons. There are two sets of piers at two ends with their foundations underwater that hold the cables on the top. The condition of the underwater piers will be scanned.

Two companies have so far responded to the tender — GPT and Unique. Sources in Nabanna said a clearance from the finance department is now awaited for the financial bid, a formality before the job is awarded.