Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: As prestigious Mughal road project is nearing completion with finishing of more than 92 percent job so far, the Project Organisation has set into motion the next phase of work for stabilization of the road and investigations for the proposed tunnel at Peer Ki Gali to make it all weather passage.
Tentative estimates of Rs 700 crore for construction of seven kilometer long tunnel and Departmental Project Report (DPR) of stabilization work worth Rs 161 crore have been prepared for the next phase on the Mughal road to make it all weather passage in near future, authoritative sources informed the Excelsior.
Technical investigations and pre-feasibility tests are being undertaken for a tunnel at high altitude Peer Ki Gali while for long term stability of the road, geo technical solutions such as rock bolting, rock nailing, geo grids and hydro seeding at 10 to 15 stretches are being implemented, sources added.
After pre-feasibility tests and other technical investigations, a detailed project report will be submitted to the Government for a formal nod for construction of tunnel at Peer Ki Gali, which will not only make the Mughal road an all weather passage but also shorten the total distance from 84 kilometers to 70 kms.
Besides, sources informed, the work on seven span bridges, which was allotted more than four years after sanction of the project owing to some site related issue, is going on with full pace notwithstanding the hostile weather conditions and other complications.
Sub structures of these seven bridges at Bafliaz, Panaar, Chatta Pani, Ratlan Shamb, Lal Ghulam, Zaznar and Dubzan are ready while their super structures are also being prepared, sources said.
However, sources added, the ongoing work on these span bridges is not going to cause delay in meeting the deadline for completion of the project since temporary single lane bailey bridge have already been laid at these points for vehicular movement on the road, which connects Bafliaz in Poonch with Shopian in Kashmir.
Sanctioned in 2006, the Mughal road project worth Rs 639.85 crore will be completed by March 2013 while last phase of work on erecting metal crash barriers, paints and reconstruction of some damaged side drains etc is going on. Only one kilometer stretch of the 84 kilometer long road is without black topping while work on 393 medium span bridges and culverts has also been completed.
The Project Organisation-the agency executing the work, lost the life of its 12 officers and workers besides total damage to 24 vehicles and heavy machines while carrying out work on the project.
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