MIRPUR (Kashmir English): The Rathoa-Haryam Bridge, stalled for nearly a decade, is now moving toward completion at a rapid pace under the leadership of Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq.
The bridge, connecting Mirpur to Islamgarh and Chakswari, will significantly reduce travel time for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The project, initiated in 2011 as part of the Mangla dam extension package, was stalled in 2015 due to financial and judicial issues.
Around 80pc of the bridge’s construction had been finished but the project had been stalled due to the non-construction of the 160-metre-long central span.
After the approval of additional funds from Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) last year, work resumed on January 20, 2025.
Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has started digging pillars in the marshy ground using German-made machinery, as the current water level is low in the Mangla Dam.
According to the project director, the last 125 meters of the bridge is being constructed under the balance bridge system to protect it from fluctuations in water levels and flood rails.
Initially, the project was estimated at Rs 1.3 billion, but with the passage of time and due to several obstacles, the cost has now exceeded Rs 9 billion.
The government has re-approved Rs 5.5 billion for the early completion of the bridge.
Citizens said that the completion of the bridge will shorten the journey from Mirpur to Islamgarh Chakswari and other areas.
Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq has expressed his determination that the project will not be delayed further and its work will be completed by 2026.
