Ramban: The work on Bailey Suspension Bridge (BSB) over Chenab river connecting old town Ramban with the district administrative complex Maitra would be complete soon as the penal-launching work was completed on Thursday ahead of the scheduled time by a Kolkata-based company GRSE, engaged by GREF.
The Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mussrat Islam was personally monitoring the bridge-launching and re-launching work of 240, FT BSB, over river Chenab on Ramban old alignment road on Srinagar- Jammu National Highway passing through Maitra, on daily basis. He said the company engaged by GREF for replacement of bridge work completes the penal-launching work of BSB over river Chenab.
He said wooden decking and other allied works on the bridge are in progress. DC is hopeful that the remaining work would be completed soon.
Earlier the Officer Commanding, (OC) 52, RCC, GREF, informed that the
Bridge-launching work of the unsafe Jhula Bridge over River Chenab was started on September 15 and the launching of the new BSB was started on October 1. He had said the bridge launch shall take 60 days.
The vital (suspension) Bridge over river Chenab connecting the old town Ramban with District Headquarters Maitra Ramban, where all the district offices and the majority of the population are located was closed for every type of vehicular movement on September 6 evening.
The suspension bridge has suffered damages after a heavy trailer carrying an earth mover came in contact with the ropes of the suspension bridge while heading to a work site. Due to it the suspension bridge suffered extensive damages following which District Magistrate Ramban ordered for stoppage of every type of movement, vehicular traffic till November 30 or when the new BSB is launched.
The bridge over the river Chenab in Ramban is the main link between the old town of Ramban connecting with the District administrative complex Maitra Ramban, Gandhari, Gool Sangaldan Sumber and Maitra areas of District Ramban.
The bridge was declared unsafe by the government and GREF, however, the work on the alternate bridge was started last year and work on the alternate bridge is also going on.
There is an alternate route via Jaswal Bridge Karool to reach District Headquarters Complex Maitra which is far away and time-consuming.
At present inhabitants, patients, students, and government employees are using this alternate route to reach their respective destinations, District administrative complex Maitra by paying more fares and spending more time via Karool to reach District Headquarters Maitra which is otherwise only a 10 minutes distance from old town Ramban through this bridge.
The Srinagar-Jammuhighway was prone to landslides from Karol to Cafeteria Morh Ramban. During the closure periods passenger light motor vehicles commuters and people having emergencies were diverted and using this route to bypass Mehar- Cafeteria Morh slide.
Earlier , Director General Border Road Organisation LtGen, Rajeev Chaudary, had also assured Dr, Jitinder Minister of State, PMO, Ministry of Science and technology also the Member Parliament of Udhampur, Doda constituency that the bridge replacement work will be completed by mid-November, 2022.