Sopore, Nov 03: The Sopore Bypass Bridge in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district is likely to reopen within the next one or two days, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sopore Dr S A Raina said on Tuesday, as the administration works to complete the repair and finishing work on the crucial link.
The bridge, which was closed to vehicular traffic from 8 pm on October 22, was initially scheduled to reopen on October 31. However, additional repair work and the time required for the repaired surface to cure and settle have delayed its reopening.
Inspecting the bridge, ADC Raina said the repair work had significantly improved its condition, with potholes addressed and earlier concerns over vibrations taken care of. He said some finishing work, including repairs to the road stretch immediately beyond the bridge and the installation of warning markings, is still required.
“The teams have worked day and night. The public has also extended considerable support,” ADC Raina told Kashmir Convener.
He said the repair work took longer than expected because excavation at certain locations revealed the need for additional material and repairs. The technical teams had also advised allowing sufficient curing and setting time to ensure the durability of the work.
The ADC said the administration is examining a long-term maintenance arrangement to prevent recurring damage to the bridge, which carries a substantial volume of traffic from across the district.
“We are discussing which executive agency would be appropriate for its maintenance so that such issues do not arise repeatedly,” he said.
ADC Raina said discussions were also underway on transferring the maintenance responsibility of the bridge, currently under the Border Roads Organisation’s Beacon unit, to the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department.
“The entire road is maintained by the R&B Department, but this particular stretch, including the bridge, is under Beacon. We are discussing the matter and hope that an appropriate decision will be taken in the next month or two,” he said.
The closure has affected daily commuters as well as the transportation of horticultural produce from Sopore, one of north Kashmir’s major fruit-trading centres.
Meanwhile, the management of the Sopore Fruit Mandi has decided to suspend fresh fruit arrivals for two days to clear the congestion caused by the accumulation of consignments and the movement of loaded trucks.
Mandi president Fayaz Ahmad Malik told Kashmir Convener the decision is taken after a considerable number of trucks arrived over the past five to six days, particularly for consignments destined for Chhattisgarh and other markets.
“We have appealed to growers not to bring fresh produce so that the consignments already lying in the market can be cleared. The loaded vehicles should be able to move out without difficulty,” Malik said.
He said the mandi would remain closed for fresh arrivals for two days, and growers could resume bringing their produce after 4 pm on Wednesday. He added that the possibility of rainfall had also influenced the decision as a large quantity of fruit was lying in the open.
Malik said around 250 to 300 trucks were dispatched from the mandi every day, reflecting the scale of operations during the peak apple marketing season.
“The entire ground is filled with fruit. We have taken this difficult decision so that growers and traders do not face problems in the coming days,” he said.
He expressed hope that the reopening of the bypass bridge would ease transportation difficulties and facilitate the movement of fruit consignments.
Appealing to growers to cooperate with the mandi management, Malik advised them to ensure proper grading of their produce and follow the temporary restrictions on arrivals.
The 216-metre Sopore Bypass Bridge was inaugurated in 2015 by then chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed after nearly 23 years of delays. It is a crucial link for traffic moving through Sopore towards Baramulla and Kupwara and plays an important role in transporting apples from the region’s fruit mandi to markets outside Jammu and Kashmir.
The latest closure has once again brought the bridge’s maintenance into focus, with local residents, transporters and fruit growers seeking a permanent mechanism to prevent recurring damage to the infrastructure.
Comments are closed.