Srinagar- Authorities on Tuesday assured that the much needed Noor Jahan and Dalgate Bridges in Srinagar will be thrown open for traffic shortly; in a bid to alleviate the problems residents might be facing as a result of the inordinate delay in their construction.
Dalgate Bridge was demolished after officials deemed it unsafe a few years ago. The construction of the bridge began considerably later than expected, and commuters have since complained about the sluggish pace on this vital link, connecting Boulevard Road and downtown.
Recently, a prominent content creator took to Facebook to poke fun at the progress of the delayed construction of the vital bridge near the city Centre.
His video, capturing the essence of delay with humor, shared widely and garnered over 30,000 views on the platform. He dubbed it “the largest bridge in the world,” teasing authorities in his witty and viral video.
Speaking to Kashmir Observer, Chief Engineer R&B, Sajad Naqib confirmed significant progress on the bridge, affirming that the construction of the bridge is ongoing and will be thrown open soon.
“Construction of the Dalgate Bridge will be completed soon and hopefully will be thrown open in the next few months” Sajad said.
Sajad also talked about the construction process of the Noor Jahan Bridge, a project spanning over 13 years, symbolizing prolonged delay and frustration for the city dwellers.
Despite various missed deadlines, the R&B Chief asserted a targeted completion by June or July 2024. The bridge, connecting Noorbagh with Qamarwari over Jhelum, is poised to alleviate traffic strain on existing routes.
While progress is evident on the Noor Jahan Bridge, the lingering issue of rehabilitating affected shopkeepers remains a priority, with significant strides already made in this regard.
For city dwellers and people from other towns thronging the Srinagar city, the ride on the “cement bride”, is tiring and bumpy. Commuters say the pivotal bridge has developed potholes which not only affect the passage of the vehicular movement but also damage the vehicles as well.
Pertinently, the Noor Jehan Bridge is spread over 127 meters and connects Noorbagh with the Qamarwari side over river Jhelum.
Once completed, the bridge will lessen traffic on the already existing “Cement Bridge” which over the period of time has served as an important link between Shahr-e- Khaas and other areas of North Kashmir.
SSP Traffic Srinagar, Muzaffar Ahmad Shah said that both the bridges are vital for the smooth flow of traffic in the city.
“The Noor Jahan Bridge is very important as patients coming from north Kashmir are caught in the traffic, the Dalgate Bridge is also important as people thronging Lal Chowk from downtown take the Sangarmal road leading to traffic jams,” Shah said
“Once the bridges are thrown open, it will come as a major relief to people who commute in the city” he added.
Although the work on approach road from Noorbagh side of the Bridge is almost complete, work on approach road from Qamarwari side is still incomplete.
“We are in the process of acquiring structures, more or less which has been done” Sajad said.
It is pertinent to mention, the construction of the Noor Jahan Bridge started in 2011. Initially, the bridge was scheduled to be completed in the year 2014.
Later, the deadline was extended to March 2017 and then upto December 2018. In March 2022, a senior official told Kashmir Observer that it would be completed by the end of 2022; however, it missed that deadline as well.
After missing several deadlines, authorities in 2022 said the work on the much-awaited Noorbagh-Qamarwari Bridge was going to get completed by March 2023.However that promise has not been fulfilled.
Kashmir Observer has done a series of stories over a period of more than 13 years highlighting the negligent attitude of officials towards the completion of the bridge.
Throughout the passage of time since its inception, many senior officials from the R&B department, entrusted with the oversight of its construction, have retired, leaving behind a legacy of unfulfilled potential in the form of the Noor Jahan Bridge.
As the construction of the vital bridges inches towards completion, anticipation mounts for a smoother commute and a brighter urban landscape in Srinagar.
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