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Rajesh Sharma
Una, October 24
The Una Public Works Department (PWD) on Wednesday closed the newly constructed bridge over the Swan river connecting Una district at adjoining Rampur village with Haroli district headquarters.
The bridge had been thrown open to all types of vehicles nearly four months ago, but it was abruptly closed with a signboard mentioning that the load test is pending.
The 773-metre bridge, which is the longest in the state, has been marred by politics. About eight years ago, it was first conceived to be constructed as a footbridge to be funded from the Swan River Watershed Management Project financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency. The foundation stone was laid during the BJP regime, but the construction work could not begin. During the last tenure of the Congress government, the double-lane bridge came up in a record time of less than a year and at a cost of Rs 35 crore. Work on the 1.5-km approach roads on both sides of the bridge was completed after the present government took over.
Haroli MLA Mukesh Agnihotri, who was the Industries Minister during the Congress regime, had been taking claim for the construction of the bridge, which reportedly prompted the BJP government to delay its opening to traffic for about two months even after all work was completed. Finally, in June this year the bridge was opened to all types of traffic, including heavy vehicles.
Superintending Engineer, PWD, DS Dehal said the bridge had to be tested with 110 metric tonne load on it, besides some other technical tests. He, however, evaded queries as to why the bridge was opened to traffic without conducting public safety tests.
Meanwhile, district Congress leaders alleged that there were political reasons in closing the bridge. In a press note issued here, Haroli Block Congress president Vinod Kumar Bittoo said no such tests had been done on any other bridge constructed in the district. He alleged that the public was being harassed because the BJP was contemplating the inauguration of the bridge with the names of some BJP leaders inscribed on the stone.
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