Traffic flow restored across repaired Ayub Bridge

BALAKOT: Over 10-days after a section of the historic Ayub Bridge had collapsed, a group of Chinese engineers repaired the bridge linking Kaghan with Gilgit-Baltistan. Engineers from the SK Hydro project worked to repair the bridge and restore it.

The repaired bridge was inaugurated by Chinese engineers along with National Highway Authority member Imran Khan. Chinese engineer Gina said that they had seen the difficulties faced by locals and tourists owing to the damaged bridge. Feeling the pain of locals, they worked to repair the bridge. She said that repairing the bridge was a gift for the residents of Balakot and an example of the long-lasting China-Pakistan friendship.

Imran thanked the Chinese engineers for their help in repairing the bridge and that their act had proved to be a friend in an hour of difficulty and need. The bridge had been built in 1959 under Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s reign to link Gilgit-Baltistan to the rest of the country.

The bridge was also named after him. An eight-foot section of the bridge had collapsed on September 26, damaging nearby shops and hotels prompting their evacuation. As a result, the authorities had closed the bridge for traffic, directing locals and tourists to take alternative routes.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2017.