Chakki bridge on National Highway shut to traffic

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR AUGUST 21

Just 13 hours after the collapse of the Chakki railway bridge at Kandwal in Nurpur yesterday, the local administration has suspended traffic on the bridge on Pathankot-Mandi National Highway-154 late last night. The authorities concerned of Kangra and Pathankot, after reviewing the flash flood situation, decided to suspend traffic on this bridge too.

As per information, around five metres of two pillars of the bridge on the Punjab side had been exposed from the Chakki riverbed due to flash flood.

Apart from this, a 15-metre high waterfall has formed after the railway bridge collapse and water, with pressure, is lashing the eroded pillars of the NH bridge.

SDM, Nurpur, Anil Bhardwaj said the decision was taken keeping in view the safety of commuters. He said the NHAI, Palampur, had been intimated and the NHAI would decide on the restoration of the traffic.

The sudden suspension of traffic on the inter-state bridge with 520-metre span built over 11 years ago has caused a lot of inconvenience to commuters. The administration has diverted traffic on the Pathankot-Lodhwan-Kandwal link road which is also in a bad condition.

This bridge was opened on January 10, 2011, and, in a short span of just over 11 years, it has started facing the threat to its existence, thanks to the unabated illegal mining on the riverbed.

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