Key bridge on Himachal-Punjab border awaits completion for two years

An inordinate delay in the construction of a key bridge over the Dhabota river in the Nalagarh area has turned out to be a cause of a major hassle for commuters.

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The bridge was damaged during the monsoon season in 2023 when heavy rains had lashed the area. As the bridge is located on the Himachal-Punjab border, the state Public Works Department (PWD) contributed 50 per cent of the cost amounting to Rs 1.45 crore to their counterparts in Punjab to re-build it.

Though funds were provided more than a year ago by the state PWD to their counterparts in Punjab in April 2024, the construction work began recently. With the onset of the monsoon the construction has failed to pick pace and it would take several months for the work to complete.

The bridge connects the Nalagarh area with Punjab and is used by hundreds of commuters on a daily basis. Presently, they either travel through the riverbed when it is dry or take a longer detour of over a kilomtere to reach their destinations. Being a narrow road, it is unable to withstand the load of heavy-duty vehicles, which often use the road for transporting the industrial cargo.

Kiran, a student, who was heading to Una, along with her uncle Mohit Thakur, to appear in a competitive exam on June 29 had a close shave. Following the directions on Google Maps, their vehicle got stuck in the riverbed at Majra as it was raining heavily. The map showed that the route leads to the broken bridge. Both managed to jump out of the car and save themselves while their vehicle was swept away. The car got stuck against a tree after overturning at some distance and suffered a heavy damage.

Locals have demanded early construction of the bridge as they lamented that the arterial routes were inaccessible in the rainy season and they faced several hardships while commuting in the area. They also demanded closure of the arterial routes as these lead the vehicles to the riverbed, which was potentially dangerous for travellers.

With no signage to guide, motorists have the tendency of taking the road leading to the damaged bridge. It can prove dear to the commuters as everyone might not be as lucky as Kiran and her uncle, who had a narrow escape.

Superintending Engineer, PWD, Solan, Ajay Sharma said the issue of expediting the bridge construction work would be taken up with their counterparts in Punjab and a signage would be erected to guide the motorists.