Ayub Bridge: Locals find issues too big to bridge

BALAKOT: The historical Ayub Bridge, which connects the Kaghan Valley with the south of the country, lies in disrepair even seven months after suffering from fractures forcing it to close down.

The bridge had been built during the rule of former president Field Marshal Ayub Khan, but now it awaits attention. In November 2017, the bridge had to be closed down after fractures appeared in it and on some stores located around it. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government and the National Highway Authority (NHA) and a Chinese company named Guzoba group, working on the nearby Suki Kinari power project, had initially repaired it and opened it for traffic after a marathon effort, it seems it was a temporary patch up rather than a permanent solution.

With the tourist season about to begin, traffic jams on the bridge have become common. The jams affect the business of traders who have set up shop on either side of the bridge. Further, the accumulation of gas-guzzling vehicles has been affecting the quality of air in the area with people suffering from breathing problems.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2018.