Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Aug 3: Even as the years long work on doubling of Jammu-Pathankot-Jalandhar Railway line is nearing completion, a small patch of 7.5 km long track from Madhopur to Kathua, involving a bridge on river Ravi, is going to cause jumping of the deadline for finishing of the entire project from March 2017 to ending of 2018.
According to the authoritative sources, ongoing construction of sub-structure of the Railway bridge over Ravi river is likely to be completed by May next year while work on super structure is going to begin very soon as job work has been awarded after opening of tenders for the same.
Finishing of job on super structure of this bridge will take approximately two years and by the time, ongoing work on bridge over Beas river between the 2.5 km long Beas block Hut to Mirthal will also be completed thus commissioning of the entire project of Jalandhar-Jammu Cantt Rail-line doubling, approximately by August 2018, sources explained.
Ongoing work on the bridge over Beas river has been progressing with a satisfactory pace and the same is likely to be finished by February 2017, sources in the executing agency told the Excelsior.
The 700m long bridge across Beas river, is having 14 spans of 45.7 m steel girders between the stations Beas block Hut to Mirthal while 825 m long Ravi bridge is having 17 spans of 45.7m and spans of 18.3m of steel girders.
The doubling of 211 km long single Railway line between Jalandhar and Jammu Tawi was sanctioned in 1997-98 at a cost of Rs 408 crores at that time and the work was started in 2002. The planned work was carried out in different sections between various Railway Stations (Block sections) as per the availability of funds. In 211 km long section, there are 26 stations in between, 406 minor bridges and 88 major bridges, including bridges across river Beas, Chakki, Ravi, Ujh and Basantar.
Even as the work on 184 kilometers of line in various block sections was completed without disturbing the existing train running operations and was commissioned between 2005-06 to 2011-12, legal hurdles and shortage of funds put brakes on the accomplishment of remaining job on doubling, particularly the construction of these major bridges, besides cast escalation.
However, the pace of work on the remaining sections once again gained momentum with the increased flow of funds and settling of the legal hurdles two years ago after which the pending work on the balance sections from Jalandhar Cantt to Suchhi Pind (3.5 km) and from Chakki to Bharoli (2.5 kms) were completed and commissioned, last year 365 meters long Basantar bridge, having 12 span of 30.5m steel girders and 625m long Ujh bridge, having 27 span of 24.40m long pre-stressed concrete girders, were also completed recently thus commissioning of the block sections between Basantar bridge block Hut and Samba Railway Station (5.5km) and Chhan Aroraian to Budhi Railway Station (8 km).
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