120 feet long Bailey bridge completed in 60 hours: BRO, 10000 Stranded Vehicles in to be allowed to proceed for Jammu from Kashmir tomorrow: ADGP Traffic 

Jahangir Sofi

Srinagar, Jan 16: After remaining closed for a week, Srinagar-Jammu national highway is all set to be allowed for vehicular movement tonight after the Border Roads Organization (BRO) completed the Bailey Bridge at Kela Morch in Ramban district along the 300-km stretch highway.

To begin with, 500 essential supply laden vehicles—“all essential supply laden vehicles”— will be allowed to move towards Valley while this evening as 10,000 stranded vehicles will also march towards Kashmir.

The traffic on the only surface link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country and world was suspended after the retaining wall of a bridge at Kela Morh in Ramban suddenly collapsed on Jan 9. Soon after the incident, the traffic authorities decided to close the traffic movement on Srinagar- Jammu national highway for 10 days.

However, as an interim relief, BRO launched Bailey bridge at Kela Morh in Ramban, that was completed today after a successful trial run. Additional Director General of Police (Traffic) T.Namgyal, while speaking to news agency—KNO said: “The Bailey bridge is completed. A successful trial was also conducted on the same today.”

Speaking about the traffic movement on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, Namgyal said: “Once the traffic is through on Bailey bridge, only 500 vehicles laden with essentials will be allowed to move towards Kashmir valley, which will include fresh vegetables, Gas, Petroleum and other essential supplies.” He said that the movement of vehicles with essentials is expected tonight.

While speaking about the traffic movement for tomorrow, he said: “In valley there are almost 10000 stranded vehicles which includes Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs), they will be allowed to move towards Jammu and no vehicular movement will be allowed from Jammu towards Kashmir.”

“There will be only one way traffic on Srinagar Jammu National Highway”, he further told KNO.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by BRO about the launching of Bailey bridge at Kela Morh in Ramban, the statement read: “The construction of Bailey bridge at Kela Morh in Ramban on Jammu-Srinagar National highway has been completed, trial run was carried out successfully today afternoon and traffic will be able to run on it by evening.”

Brigadier I K Jaggi Chief Engineer Project Beacon of BRO, who was monitoring the construction of the bridge, said that BRO put men and machinery who after hectic efforts completed the bridge.

“We have completed the vital bridge in just 60 hours. Traffic can play on it as trial run was successful today. By today evening, traffic will resume on it,” he said. Meanwhile, officials at BRO said that 120 feet long bridge can carry 40 tons of weight at a time.