Last repaired some four years ago, the 33-kilometre Bandipora-Sopore road is in a dilapidated condition causing immense inconvenience to the commuters.
The important road connecting Bandipora with other towns innorthern Kashmir like Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara and Kupwara is dotted withbig potholes all along.
“The condition of the road is getting worse by the day asthe district administration and R&B department failed to maintain it formore than four years,” said Bilal Ahmed, a resident, adding it has become toughto drive on the road.
Locals say the road was last macadamised in 2015 and leftwithout proper maintenance since then.
“It takes us more than one and a half hour to cover thedistance of 45 minutes from Bandipora to Sopore due to the dilapidatedcondition of the road,” a commuter said.
The condition of the road is particularly bad at places likeKaloosa, Putushai, Mangnipora, Kema, Aloosa, Ashtengoo, Sangri Top, Warpora andJanwari.
This crucial road is maintained by the R&B divisionBandipora from Kaloosa to Sangri Top, and from there onwards to Sopore R&Bdivision Sopore is in charge.
However, according to locals both the divisions have failedto upgrade its condition during the last four years.
Assistant Executive Engineer R&B Division Bandipora,Javid Iqbal, said a tender has already been issued for macadamisation andrenewal coat of Bandipora-Sopore road.
“In coming days macadamisation work would be started. Lastyear we had done some patchwork on the road but that did not last long becausemacadamisation work was not done. Now the road will be macadamised this year,”Iqbal assured.