Ramban: Damaged crash barriers on a narrow bridge at Bowali Bazar and on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch of Ramban on the old alignment of Srinagar Jammu National Highway, posing serious threat, await repairs.
The crash barriers erected alongside the road are damaged and concerned authorities have not repaired them for long.
“They pose a serious threat to motorists as a slight error in negotiating a curve can take them hurtling down into a gorge or Nullah,” said a road user Nand Kishore.
“For the last one and half years, the crash barriers have been lying unattended at Bowali Bazar, located in the middle of the Ramban town. Hence there is always an apprehension of accidents as the road is narrow and curvy, near the Bowali Bazar bridge,” he said.
People of the town and adjoining areas demand that the authorities should immediately repair these crash barriers on the Bowali Bazar bridge and the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch on the old alignment of the Srinagar Jammu National Highway.
Locals lament that extreme neglect on the part of authorities concerned can be gauged from the fact that this steel protection and parapets at most of the places are badly damaged but the concerned authorities have not bothered to repair them.
“These damaged protections – crash barriers are posing a threat to the people instead of providing them with safety cover, while travelling or walking along the highway,” they rue.
They said that on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch of highway, crash barriers have also suffered damages due to frequent landslides over some time, facing the apathy of concerned authorities as they have not been repaired ever since they’ve got damaged.
To ensure proper protection on this highway, (the then) road maintenance agency GREF had installed crash barriers or steel protections at several places along the highway.
“However, the concerned agencies of NHAI have not repaired the crash barriers or steel protection although they are badly damaged at several places along the old alignment of the highway, posing threat to the people, in general and commuters, in particular, instead of providing them with safety,” locals allege.
No officer from NHAI, responsible for upkeep of the old alignment of the highway, was available for comments.
