However hundreds of people on either side of the Gilgit River risk their lives daily as the bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the region, is also the fastest route between Gilgit and Danyore.
If your nerves are made of anything but steel, it would be best to avoid the bridge and take the longer route to Danyore, a 15-kilometre detour.
Built almost four decades back, the 30-metre-long bridge served as the sole access to Danyore when the RCC Bridge collapsed three years back. Until the government made an alternative bridge available five months later, Danyore Bridge was the only route available to thousands of people in Danyore, Bagrote and Jalalabad.
Even now it is taking on increased wear and tear due heavy usage.
The blind 10 metre curving tunnel at the end of the bridge further tests one’s resolve because if forward momentum is broken, an abrupt stop can lead to a frightening situation -- a real life cliff-hanger.
“I strongly suggest newcomers and tourists avoid this route when travelling to Danyore from Gilgit because it can be very dangerous,” said Mushtaq Ali, a taxi driver who lives in Danyore and frequently travels to Gilgit via the bridge.
He said that many people get dizzy when they reach the middle of the bridge.
“But if you have a fearless heart and are adventurous, you must experience it,” he added.
According to local people, minor accidents have occurred in the past near the bridge. A motorcyclist was injured last year after he fell on the riverbank after losing control over his bike. Similarly a number of passengers were injured when a van also met the same fate.
Officials in the Bridges and Road Department said that the government is paying “special attention” to the bridge to keep it fit for traffic. He said that heavy traffic is not allowed to pass through it and that repair work on the bridge is done as per requirement to keep it ‘alive’.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2011.
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