Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 17: The work on 300 mt span double-lane Phallain-Mandal bridge on river Tawi has been started by the JKPCC and 18 months target has been given to the contracting agency for the completion of the work.
This vital bridge on downstream the fourth Tawi bridge had washed away in September 2014 floods. Hardly half of its portion had been left while rest of the bridge was washed away, snapping link to over 45 villages of Tawi island comprising of nearly 30,000 souls.
Official sources told the Excelsior that national tenders were floated for this bridge and M/s Singla Constructions of Chandigarh and M/s AK Constructions Ltd of Jammu were mainly in the contest. Since lowest was the AK Constructions with Rs 21.50 crores, so the work was allotted to this company. There was difference of Rs 2 crores between these two lowest and second lowest contestants.
Chief Engineer R&B, Jammu Alok Mengi said that bridge construction work stands allotted to the JKPCC and now it is their job to get the bridge completed in the given time frame of 18 months by the Minister concerned. He said that national tenders were floated before the pre-requisites of the project like soil testing and geological investigations etc. It will be longer than the old existing bridge and its height has also been increased to protect it from massive floods.
Mr Mengi further disclosed that alternative passage to the Tawi island villages has been restored from 4th Tawi bridge side through a kucha road by breaking protection wall on downwards. From the left over half portion of the bridge, a temporary foot-bridge for public / light vehicles is being constructed. It will be completed by next 2 weeks. The people of these nearly three dozen Island villages will use this bridge even during coming monsoon season.
Managing Director JKPCC, PL Bhushan, who is supervising the over all construction of this important bridge told the Excelsior that funds for the construction of this bridge stand allotted and the construction has been started from first week of this month. If everything went smoothly, the bridge will be completed by one and half years.
Replying to a question the MD said the old existing bridge was 267 mt in length while this bridge will be 300 mt long. The height has also been increased by nearly one and half meters or say nearly 5 ft as the flood water of Tawi had washed away half of the old bridge during September last year.
While the old bridge was single without any foot path, this new bridge will be double- lane with footpaths on both the sides. He said the design of the bridge has been approved by IIT Delhi while for protection works some more funds are needed. The cost of the bridge including approach roads and some protection works may go up to Rs 25 crores, he maintained.
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