Jammu, Feb 18: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday informed the Legislative Assembly that it is committed to providing safe and hassle-free road connectivity to Bandipora district, revealing that multiple infrastructure projects are in the pipeline to address the long-standing demand for better roads.
In a written reply to a question raised by Bandipora MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat during the ongoing budget session, the government as per Kashmir Convener detailed the steps taken to upgrade the critical Srinagar-Bandipora and Sopore-Bandipora road stretches.
Regarding connectivity with the summer capital, the government stated that while the Srinagar-Bandipora road via Sumbal is functional, the stretch from Srinagar to Sumbal is being strengthened by the construction of a ring road under the NHAI. To upgrade the vital Sumbal-to-Bandipora link, the government has identified critical infrastructure needs, including the construction of a double-lane bridge at Narinara to replace the existing Bailey Bridge. “The Bridge is presently under construction. Upon completion, it is expected to substantially improve traffic movement,” the official reply stated. It added that the bottleneck at the Tangwani Bridge is also being addressed, with the bridge design currently under preparation.
Responding to the demand for upgrades on the Sopore-Bandipora road, the government informed the House that work is already in progress. “Strengthening/widening/up-gradation of the Sopore-Bandipora Road (Km 8th to 14th) has been taken up under NABARD RDIF-XXVIII with an estimated cost of Rs 1113.82 lakh and Km 14th to 19th has been taken up under NABARD RIDF-XXX at a cost of Rs. 991.59 lakh,” the reply read. It assured that the completion of these projects would reduce travel time and ensure smooth, all-weather traffic movement between the two towns.
Addressing the MLA’s query on the need for a bypass to decongest Bandipora town, the government admitted that urban expansion and frequent traffic congestion necessitate such a project. It disclosed that a preliminary survey for a 7.00 km bypass road from Potushay Junction to Nussu Junction has been conducted. “As per this preliminary assessment, the project would require acquisition of approximately 296 kanals of land. The said project shall be considered after ascertaining the availability of resources,” the government added in its reply.
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