Sonia Gandhi lays foundation stone of Jammu and Kashmir’s first cable-stayed bridge

Monday May 23, 2011 06:09:23 PM, Agencies

Basholi (Jammu & Kashmir): Chairperson of National Advisory Council (NAC) Mrs. Sonia Gandhi May 23 laid the foundation stone of Jammu and Kashmir’s first cable-stayed bridge at Basohli in Kathua district.

The bridge will usher in new technology in harmony with the beautiful surroundings; provide an impetus to development and tourism by connecting the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, besides opening a new strategic route in the region.

Mrs Gandhi reminisced that the project was the dream of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

She recalled that Rajiv Gandhi was to lay the foundation stone of this bridge in 1989 but the event could not take place due to the announcement of the elections.

The 592 metre bridge will be built by the Border Raods Organisation of the Ministry of Defence at a cost of Rs 145 Crores.

Scheduled to be constructed by September 2014, the bridge will open up avenues for commercial mining of materials like Gypsum and Lime stone.

Flanked by Defence Minister AK Antony, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister for New & Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister of J&K Omar Abdullah, JKPCC Chief Saifuddin Soz, Minister of State for Defence Dr MM Pallam Raju, Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and Director General Border Roads Lt Gen Ravi Shankar, Mrs Gandhi broke an auspicious coconut to mark the beginning of work on the Project. The event was preceded by a brief multi-faith ceremony.

The Basohli bridge is going to be a technological marvel. It will be a cable-stayed bridge, similar to the Second Hoogly bridge at Kolkotta, Naini Bridge at Allahabad and the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link at Mumbai. It will have a tower height of about 88 metres above deck level. The decking and the span regions will only be supported by cables. There will be 1.5 metre wide footpaths on both sides.
 

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Picture of the Day

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov witnessing the signing of agreements between two countries, in New Delhi on May 18, 2011.

(Photo: BM Meena)