Repair work on old Tawi bridge begins

Repair work on old Tawi bridge begins Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 19
The repair work on the old Tawi bridge at Bikram Chowk on the BC road, which connects the new city with the old, started today.
Claiming that the recent rain had badly damaged the RCC slab of the bridge, AN Kundal, XEN, Roads and Buildings Department, said the repair work was necessary for the safety of the bridge, which was built in 1980s.
“Any further damage to the upper slab of the bridge could damage the main slabs. Hence, it was necessary to repair it immediately,” said Kundal, adding, “It will take nearly 45 days to complete the repair work and our priority is to finish it before the Darbar move.”
He said the work would cost Rs 50 lakh.Asked whether the department was making any alternative arrangements for commuters, Kundal said, “ The people will face problems while commuting during the next few days, but we have made diversions at some places with the help of the Traffic police, which will be helpful to some extent.”
He added, “So far, just one tube of the bridge has been closed and the other one connecting Bikram Chowk to Dogra Chowk has been kept open. Once the repair work on this tube is finished, the other one will be taken up for repair.”
“We have to first dismantle the old RCC slab and then make a fresh slab. Thereafter, the re-carpeting of the road will be done so that the entire process can be completed before 45 days,” Kundal maintained. SK Suri, a private contractor, who has been assigned the work of dismantling the old RCC slab, said, “The department has taken the right decision to repair the bridge, as more rain can damage its main slab. If the main slab is damaged, the bridge will have to be dismantled.”
“The bridge has completed about 30 years and it is necessary to carry out the repairs to enhance its life,” added Suri.
Meanwhile, long queues of vehicles were witnessed on the BC road, as most of the commuters were not aware about the closure of the bridge. Throughout the day, the commuters were caught in jams. Only two or three policemen were present at the bridge to manage the traffic.
Rakesh Kumar, an advocate, who was going from Gandhi Nagar to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court at Janipur, said, “Earlier, it took nearly 15 minutes to reach the court, but now it will take about 30-40 minutes due to the repair work on the bridge. The authorities concerned should have informed the people in advance to avoid inconvenience to them.”

Workers carry out repairs on the old Tawi bridge in Jammu on Monday. Tribune photo: Inderjeet Singh