Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar, Mar 31: After missing several deadlines in the past, the much-awaited Noorbagh-Qamarwari Bridge is all set to be completed by June of this year.
Noorbagh-Qamarwari bridge popularly known as the “Cement Bridge” has historical importance in the Valley as it was the first bridge over the river Jhelum, which was constructed in concrete.
However, the present bridge at the place, as per the commuters, has been giving tough times to them. Notably, the bridge is an important link as it connects the Old City, Soura and other areas with north Kashmir.
The construction of the new bridge was started in the year 2011, but in the last nearly one and half decade, it missed several deadlines, sources said, adding that most of the time, the construction was stopped as there were several reasons behind the stoppage of the work and that took long to remove the bottlenecks.
Initially, the bridge was scheduled to be completed in the year 2014. Later, the deadline was extended upto March 2017 and then upto December 2018.
Chief Engineer, Roads and Building department, Er Rafiq said it is expected that the bridge will be completed by June of this year (2022).
“There were several issues, which took a long to be rectified,” he told news agency KINS, adding that the land issue was among the main bottlenecks that halted the work for a longer period.
“Many structures are to be removed and we are already on it,” he said.
Pertinently, the area where the bridge is being constructed is a congested place, thus simultaneously witnessing frequent traffic mess.
