MUZAFFARABAD: The much awaited Earthquake Memorial Bridge connecting Naluchi and Chattar on the banks of River Jhelum was opened for traffic on Tuesday.
The project, funded by the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), was completed in just over four year at a cost of Rs1.5billion.
The bridge is 60 metres above the river and 246 metre long. The cable-stayed extradosed bridge was designed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The opening of the bridge will help ease traffic pressure on main roads in the state capital, particularly during the peak hours.
Work on the project was started in May 2009 and was supposed to be completed in 2012, but it hit many snags including paucity of funds, delaying completion.
“The bridge is a blessing for the people of Muzaffarabad. Now we can get around the city faster. This bridge has reduced traffic from Chattar to Gilani Chowk, the commercial hub of the city, by 50 per cent,” said Tariq Butt, a government employee.
The bridge has 15-metre sidewalks on either side.
“The bridge will help minimise traffic congestion in the city and providing easy access to commuters travelling to and from the city, said Reyaz Ahmad, a commuter.
The opening of the bridge came as a great relief to the people of Chattar and Civil Secretariat areas who had to endure hour-long traffic jams on a daily basis while travelling to and from the city and the rest of the country.
“This bridge has unique features and surely it adds to the beauty of the capital. The government is proud of it that we have constructed the highest bridge of the country,” said Azad Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Rehabilitation Abdul Majid Khan while talking to The Express Tribune.
Meanwhile, Opposition leader in the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz AJK Chairman Raja Farooq Haider Khan has said that they will resist efforts by the PPP-led AJK government to name the bridge after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “We have other projects that can be named after our national leaders. The bridge should be called the Earthquake Memorial Bridge or Pakistan-Japan Friendship Bridge as Japan has provided the funds for the project,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2014.
COMMENTS (7)
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We are busy making a Metro Bus project at a hefty 54 Billion Rupees just connecting our capital Islamabad to Rawalpindi, already well connected by roads of Express classifications. We have to accept help from Japan for a bridge costing meager Rupees 1.5 billion for a cash strapped Azad kashmir. Is it not enough to demonstrate we have vested interests in undertaking projects and our misplaced priorities just to enjoy lucrative commissions?
Trust PMLN to creatre a ruckus over every non-issue and when genuine issue like electoral fraud is concerned they are silent as a snake.
@pak patriot: You must think about building infrastructure for the manufacturing of cars,Trucks,Tractors to save foreign exchange how long will u carry on importing every thing. Wishing good luck for Pakistan and Pakistanis may ur Army succeed in eliminating the terrorists at the earliest so that the IDPs can return to their homes and peace prevail in the country a stable Pakistan is must for India.
@hellboy since we are a consumer nation and are a big market for japanese car companies. Japan keenly invests in road infrastructure. Biggest example is Kohat tunnel which was funded and constructed by them. They will get their money back from car exports, toll tax etc.
Pakistan-Japan Friendship Bridge yes
Thank you Japan, and R.I.P all the innocent people who lost their lives in that terrible tragedy.
Even for buliding a bridge you are taking help from others even after 68 yrs.what a shame.