M HYDERI
Srinagar, May 8: As if this historic City is about guinea pigs that in a bid to streamline traffic, the government is "testing" something, which generally is unheard of by starting construction of not any straight bridge, but a skewed one across Jehlum to connect the plush Poloview with Raj Bagh.
 While the other fallouts would be for time to decide, the bridge at the face of it seems to be threat to the life of hundreds of children studying at a heritage Missionary school across the river towards the Raj Bagh side.

THE PLAN
 The Roads and Building (R&B) department after approving the bridge proposal, has handed over the work worth around Rs 100 million to the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation(JKPCC).
 The JKPCC for now has started the bridge work from the Poloview side, where a ramp will be raised near the mega staircases leading to the General Post Office on The Bund.
 Across the Jhelum, which is some 100 meters wide, the bridge won’t go straight but take turns. First, downstream a right curve and then a left to get connected with the wide road on the Raj Bagh side popularly known as the Convent Road.
 The bridge work is scheduled to be completed within three years.

THE SKEWING
 Officials said the skewing would be required because the two bank sites, scheduled to be the bridge ends, don’t come face-to-face but are some 100 meters apart.
 “And so a connect between the two will obviously need skewing,” explained a JKPCC official requesting not to be named.
 He said the bridge end towards the Raj Bagh side would meet the Convent Road’s central verge.
 But given the skewing Mantra, which is feared to be risky for driving, the upcoming bridge has already attracted a hilarious name: Teda Bridge!

THE RISK
 For risk factor, the “Teda Bridge” is being equated with the Barzulla Bridge, which curves, though not across the river, but towards the road on the west.
 The Barzulla bridge curve has already proved deadly as several mishaps take place there because the drivers often find it difficult to negotiate the skew.
 While many vehicles rammed into the bridge fence, those more powerful tore apart the concrete and crashed straight on the road beneath. Last year, as per witnesses, at least two vehicles including a truck met the same fate.
 “Though many might have survived in the Barzulla Bridge crashes, the accidents feared on this upcoming bridge could to be worst because the vehicles may sink straight into Jhelum,” said a retired R&B engineer requesting not to be named.

THREAT TO SCHOOL
 Observers look at the development as a threat to Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School, a leading school for girls, situated just next to the spot where the bridge is scheduled to connect to the Raj Bagh road.
 “Vehicular traffic on the bridge is expected to be obviously huge and this pressure is feared to risk the life of schoolchildren,” said an expert on traffic engineering.

OFFICIALS SPEAK
  The General Manager JKPCC, Farooq Ahmed Bulla, however believes that bridge won’t be a threat to anybody’s life.
 “We have kept this into consideration while planning the bridge and so there will be no risk to the school or its children,” the General Manager told Greater Kashmir.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 IST