GUJRAT: The flow of River Chenab has been successfully diverted towards the site of under-construction Shahbazpur bridge that after its completion will link Gujrat and Sialkot districts.

The engineers working on the project had first blocked the water flow into the river and then released water from pairs 3 and 4 of the bridge.

Nawabzada Tahirul Mulk, an adviser to the Punjab chief minister, told Dawn the concrete slabs and desk slots are being laid on already completed 46 piles of the bridge.

He said Shahbazpur bridge was the second major project in the region after the recently-constructed Jinnah Flyover along the GT Road, Gujranwala city, carried out by the Punjab government for economic uplift of Gujrat, Sialkot and Gujranwala, through infrastructural development of these industrial districts of Punjab.

The projects estimated cost was around Rs4.75 billion that also included the construction of concrete shoulders four kilometers up and down stream along both sides of the riverbed to divert the water flow as per the technicality of the design and site of the bridge. Besides, some 20 kilometers long carpeted roads to approach the bridge are also being constructed on its both sides.

“Work on the construction of Gujrat side of the approach road has been expedited, whereas earthwork on Sialkot side has been completed,” said the advisor and added that the Punjab government had so far released a sum of Rs4 billion for the project and more than Rs3 billion had already been spent on it.

The Gujrat district administration had announced that the project would be complete by March 31, 2018, but according to sources, its completion may get delayed by at least one or two months since the approach roads and asphalt layer along the bridge are yet to be completed, whereas footpath on one side of the bridge is also under construction.

However, the local administration claimed the project had entered its finishing stage as work had been expedited and progress on the site was quite satisfactory.

The site engineers and contractors had briefed the ruling PML-N lawmakers -- MNA Abid Raza Kotla, Moin Nawaz, Nawabzada Haider Mehdi, Ashraf Deona, Tariq Dinga and others from across the district -- on the project, besides officers of the district administration, the other day.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2018