Finally, construction of BRTS loop resumes

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 23

The construction work of the loop of the BRTS over Bhandari railway overbridge, which was stalled for several months for want of heavy cranes, has now started after the arrival of two cranes. The third crane will reach soon, said railway officials associated with the project.

The railways will construct 52-metre long concrete and steel bridge for the state government’s ambitious Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project.

It will take nearly three more months to complete the bridge entailing expenditure of Rs 15 crore, borne by the state government. Officials said it would be a composite bridge with concrete and steel structure. Three slabs of 170 tonnes each would be laid underneath the concrete slab of the bridge. In order to lift and place extremely heavy girders, heavy cranes from Delhi were called.

The rail traffic would be stopped for nearly six hours for many days, which would cause minimum fluctuation of regular train schedule. The bridge will have four lanes. The elevated roads on both sides of the railway lines are complete.

The BRTS project is expected to jump the deadline once again. The then Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal had announced that the project would be operational in February. Earlier, it was scheduled to be finished in September.

With a total length of 30.73 km, the BRTS project aims to provide mass transport to residents of the border city, besides reducing traffic mess.

The project saw construction of nearly five-km elevated corridors on Albert Road, Bhandari bridge loop, Bhandari bridge roundabout to Daburji bypass, Central Core Hussainpura Chowk to Celebration Mall to Kitchlu Chowk to Albert Road junction, SSSS Chowk to Crystal Chowk, Celebration Mall to NH Bypass, NH Bypass to Verka Canal and the railway overbridge at Verka.