An all-weather bridge is to be given to the Indian Army near the Pakistan border. A one km long bridge in the Kathua district and Basantar bridge in the Samba district has been constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of Jammu and Kashmir. The Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, recently inaugurated both the bridges and dedicated them to the nation. The event also saw the presence of Union Minister Jitender Singh, General Bipin Rawat, and other defence officials.
The construction of the Ujh and Basantpur bridges is a great achievement for BRO since roads and bridges are the lifeline of any nation and are extremely important in the socio-economic development of far-flung regions and population, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.
Here are few of the details about the all-weather bridge in Jammu and Kashmir-
•While the length of the UJH bridge in Kathua district is 1000 metres, the Basantar bridge in Samba district is 617.40 metres long. BRO has said that these two bridges would usher in a new revolution in the connectivity of roads and bridges in border areas.
•The bridges have been constructed by BRO personnel in the most hostile and difficult areas. These two bridges will fulfill the strategic need for defence forces. These two bridges will provide smooth connectivity and are vital for the Indian Army for deployment in border areas.
•These two bridges will also provide a big relief for the locals of border villages of Kathua and Samba sectors as road connectivity gets affected during monsoon.
• Ujh bridge in Kathua district is the longest bridge constructed by BRO. It also has the distinction of using the technology of precast segmental be with 60 m spans.
• The total cost of construction of Ujh bridge is Rs 50 crore. The bridge is located on Parole-Korepannu-Rajpura road over Ujh Nallah.
•The construction cost of Basantar bridge in Samba district stands at Rs. 41.7 crores. It is located on Rajpura – Madwal – Pangadur – Phulpur road.
•Both UJH and Basantar bridges have been constructed under 69 RCC/ 13 BRTF of ‘Project Sampark’.