Srinagar: Commuters have expressed resentment over slow pace of construction of Dalgate bridge here.
They said inordinate delay in completing construction of the Dalgate Bridge is taking toll on them. The commuters said that due to the non-completion of the project, the busy Dalgate road that connects many areas, including City Centre, Downtown, and Boulevard, has been facing chronic traffic jams.
Officials from the traffic department said that due to the construction of the bridge, MA Road is witnessing a heavy rush of vehicles, more than its capacity.
They said Dalgate-bound vehicles coming from Downtown take the Sangarmal route instead of Badyari Crossing, overburdening the already overburdened MA road.
“The work on the bridge has been going at a snail’s pace for a long time. The diversion following the construction project is creating traffic bottlenecks. Whether you are coming from Downtown, Boulevard, or City Centre, the traffic is choked near the Dalgate Badyari Chowk. This leads to long traffic jams, taking a huge toll on commuters. It has been a long time since we witnessed the work going on, but there seems to be no major progress,” said Farooq Ahmad, a commuter.
The commuters said that the diversions triggered by the construction project are taking a toll on other routes in the area, triggering heavy traffic jams. They said that office goers get stuck in the traffic jams at Dalgate for.
“During peak hours of morning and evening, traffic jams are worse. Scores of students and office goes take the routes which are crippled by the construction project and get stuck in long traffic jams,” said Abdul Hamid, a student.
Shakir Ahmad, a local living in the vicinity of Badyari Chowk Dalgate said “the issue has created inconvenience for us. Our routine commute has become nearly impossible. Our school-going children are also suffering. The issue is also hampering the movement of essential services,”
Greater Kashmir did a series of stories on the issue, and the official from the R&B said that the work will be completed by the end of this year. In a recent conversation with this reporter, a senior official from the department said that they have started work in full swing and the work on the project will be completed by December this year.