Baramulla, May 31: Nand Singh (NS) bridge in Uri experienced damage on Wednesday afternoon, leading to a disruption in traffic flow along the strategic Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.
However, after a brief closure for repair work, the bridge was promptly fixed by a team from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), with assistance from local police and residents, and normal traffic movement was restored.
Locals said that the closure lasted for nearly two hours until a team from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), with assistance from local police and residents, promptly repaired the support plates of the bridge.
Normal traffic movement was restored after the completion of the repairs, allowing hundreds of stranded vehicles on both sides of the bridge to resume their journeys.
The NS bridge holds significant importance for the residents of Uri as it connects a vast area with Baramulla and Srinagar.
The bridge had previously been damaged during the 2005 earthquake, resulting in a prolonged disconnection of the Uri area.
Local residents expressed their dissatisfaction with the delay in completing the bridge, which was assigned to the BEACON authorities.
They also raised concerns about the ongoing use of a temporary iron bridge erected by the army over the Hajipir Nala, highlighting the significant risks it poses.
One pillar of the temporary bridge was damaged during the 2015 floods, causing intermittent traffic interruptions.
Ghulam Ahmad Khawaja, a trader in Uri, voiced concerns about the precarious nature of the temporary bridge, stating, “The temporary iron bridge installed by the army is so weak that one of its pillars on Hajipeer Nala was damaged in the 2015 floods.”
“The authorities have halted traffic on the bridge multiple times in the past. Unfortunately, we have no alternative but to use this ordinary bridge, and it won’t be long before it claims precious lives.”
Apart from connecting Uri with Baramulla and Srinagar, the NS bridge also facilitated cross-border trade and the peace bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad before it was stopped.
Locals said that the frequent damage to the bridge has caused immense hardships for the people of Uri, Salambad, Kamalkote areas, as well as traders and transporters.
