Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will dedicate the first cable stay bridge of North India to the nation on December 24, providing close connectivity between three northern states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The cable-stayed bridge at Basholi is situated on Dunera- Basohli-Bhadharwah road. The Basohli bridge will be fourth of its kind in India and first in North India and Jammu and Kashmir.
About the Bridge
- The work on the maiden cable stay bridge of the state was started in September 2011 on the persistent demand of people of Basohli where over 22 villages got submerged in water and were evacuated to other places after the construction of Ranjit Sagar dam.
- The 592-meter span bridge is being constructed by Border Roads Organization (BRO) at a cost of Rs 145 crore.
- It is a joint venture of IRCON a Railway Company and SP Singla Construction group.
- Out of 592 m, 350 m span is cable-stayed while rest is plain bridge.
- Nearly 300 ton specially designed cables are needed for this bridge which are being procured from Japan and Spain.
- The bridge will act as a lifeline for the people of Basohli and Bani tehsils and it will shorten the distance of travel to Punjab and HP to a great extent.
- This bridge is strategically important from defence point of view also and first of its kind in North India and also having second longest span in India.
- Described as an engineering marvel in this part of the country, the foundation stone of this important bridge was laid in May 2011.
India’s Cable-Stayed Bridges
- Hooghly bridge at Kolkata
- Naini Bridge in Allahabad
- Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link in Mumbai
