Four months after completion,road overbridge to finally open to commuters

While work was completed in May,this year,the bridge was not open to the public as it was not formally inaugurated by the chief minister,his deputy or other officials. With Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal set to inaugurate the bridge on Tuesday,commuters will finally be able to use the bridge.

The delay in opening the bridge to public use,however,has irked area residents. “Why did the government prevent people from using it for the past four months while it is meant for the public?” questions Baljeet Singh,sarpanch of Giddarpindi village adding that commuters were stopped every time they approached the bridge.

“Big stones and drums have been put on both the sides of the bridge to prevent people from getting on it,”said Ranjodh Singh,sarpanch of Wara village.

The separate road traffic bridge is the main link between Jalandhar and Ferozepur. Commuters can travel on it at any time and it has reduced the distance between many parts of Doaba and Majha region by about 50 kilometres.

It was built to ease the pressure on a 120-year-old ‘single rail and road traffic bridge’,the only such in the state. The 120 year old rail-road bridge was closed at night to road traffic and caused huge inconvenience to those travelling between Doaba and Malwa.

Though the demand for a separate road bridge began before Independence,it was only in 2007,that the SAD-BJP government made it a major poll promise.

The foundation stone was laid here in February 2009 and while the deadline for construction was set for June,2010,it was only completed in May,this year. Punjab Cabinet minister Ajit Singh Kohar,who represents this area,could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.