Chakki bridge opens to heavy vehicles after 25 days

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, September 18

Following the recommendations of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Nurpur and Pathankot authorities today opened the inter-state Chakki bridge on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway-154 at Kandwal in Nurpur for heavy vehicles after 25 days.

Road users heaved a sigh of relief after the bridge was reopened for all types of vehicles. After an inspection of the bridge by NHAI engineers last evening, the authorities decided to allow heavy vehicles. On September 12, the NHAI had opened the bridge for two-wheelers and light passenger vehicles, but had prohibited heavy vehicles until the completion of the “protection work” on the pillars of the bridge.

The change in the course of the Chakki rivulet towards pillar number one and two in the Punjab area due to flash floods last month had posed a threat to these pillars. The bridge was closed for traffic on August 20 and re-opened on August 22, but it had to be closed again on August 25.

The NHAI had deployed machinery to divert the course of the Chakki rivulet and started work to save the pillars of the bridge. During the closure of the bridge, the administration had diverted vehicular traffic through the Kandwal-Lodwan-Pathankot link road.

Nurpur SDM Anil Bhardwaj said after getting technical clearance from the NHAI, the inter-state bridge had been opened for all types of vehicles.