Himachal’s longest bridge to come up in Dehra

The Public Works Department (PWD) has proposed the construction of a 3-km-long bridge across the Pong Dam on the Beas in the Dehra Assembly constituency represented by Kamlesh Thakur, wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The proposed bridge, to be built along the Dadasiba-Baoungta road at a cost of Rs 318.52 crore, will connect Malot village in Dehra subdivision to the Muchkund Mahadev temple located at Nangal village near Ghiori panchayat. The plan also includes a dedicated footpath for pedestrians.

Once completed, the bridge is expected to reduce travel time and enhance connectivity to villages on both sides of the Beas. It will also be the longest bridge in the state.

Local residents and religious pilgrims visiting the Muchkund Mahadev temple are likely to benefit the most from this development. The bridge will also improve access for people living in the remote and under-served areas of Jaswan-Paragpur, Dehra and Jawali, positively impacting more than 50,000 residents.

At present, locals from Dadasiba and nearby areas are forced to travel 50 km to 70 km to reach Haripur, Guler, Nagarota Surian and Jawali. The proposed bridge will reduce this distance by 25 km to 30 km, offering substantial saving of time and fuel.

Chief Engineer, PWD, Vikas Sood said that they had already prepared a detailed project report of the bridge and submitted it to the state headquarters in Shimla. This proposal would be forwarded to the Centre under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund scheme for the approval of funds. “This ambitious project is proposed to be built under the Setu Bandhan Yojana,” he added.

The bridge having a width of 10 metres will originate at Malot village (Boungta panchayat) and have a span of 3 km leading to the Muchkund Mahadev temple area and promising smooth connectivity.