Srinagar, May 24: The Qamarwari-Noorbagh bridge — more widely known as the Noor Jahan bridge — has missed yet another deadline, with officials now promising it will be completed and opened to the public by mid-June. Approved in 2009 and taken up for construction in 2011, the bridge was originally scheduled to be completed in 2014. More than a decade later, commuters are still waiting.
The 127-metre-long structure, spanning the River Jhelum, is intended to connect the densely populated areas of Qamarwari and Noorbagh. Designed to ease the chronic traffic congestion that plagues this part of the city, the bridge has instead become synonymous with bureaucratic delays, missed targets and mounting public frustration.
Every missed deadline has forced commuters to continue using the crumbling and congested ‘Cement Bridge’, now riddled with potholes and struggling under the weight of thousands of vehicles each day. “This bridge was meant to bring relief, but all it brought is delay and disappointment,” said Rayees Tantray, a resident of Noorbagh.
Asrar Buch, another local resident, added: “I was not even old enough to drive when this bridge was announced. Now, I drive through the same bottleneck every day. The bridge has become a symbol of inefficiency.” The delay is not merely an inconvenience — it has real-life consequences. Emergency vehicles, including ambulances, are frequently caught in traffic snarls, risking lives in transit. “It’s disheartening to see ambulances stuck when every second matters,” said Farooq Parray, a local resident.
Faced with growing public discontent, officials now say the end is in sight. Chief Engineer of the Roads and Buildings Department, Sajad Naqeeb, admitted to the repeated setbacks but maintained that around 95 percent of the work is already complete. “The primary causes of delay — land acquisition and encroachments — have finally been addressed,” he said. “With favourable weather and no major hurdles left, we are confident of finishing the project by mid-June.”
Still, residents remain sceptical. With years of broken promises behind them, many say they will believe it when they see traffic flowing across the bridge. For now, the Qamarwari-Noorbagh Bridge stands as a stark reminder of how red tape and administrative lethargy can stall even the most urgently needed infrastructure.
