RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Railways (PR) has initiated renovation work to save the historical bridge over the main railway track that connects the city with cantonment areas.

Utilising time, as the country is still under partial lockdown and train service has been suspended, PR’s Rawalpindi Division decided to renovate the old bridge to restore it to its original form. The 135-year-old truss bridge, made with iron, is located near Pakistan Army’s Transit Camp and the Rawalpindi Railway Station. It has been in poor condition since the past few years.

Talking to Dawn, PR Divisional Superintendent Syed Munawar Shah said: “PR has started renovation of the bridge and it will be completed before Eidul Fitr. Thebridge has become rusty, sowe will paint it to save it from further rust. The road on the bridge has beendeteriorating for years and requires reconstruction.”

“PR contacted civic bodies to repair the bridge as it was being used by general traffic. After getting no response from Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), we decided to restore the bridge and re-carpet the road,” he said, adding that maintenance of the bridge was the responsibility of RMC and RCB.

He added that he had written letters to both civic bodies in the last two years but there was no response.

Work to be completed before Eid, railways official says

“The bridge was originally meant to cater to light traffic but presently, it is being used by heavy traffic. Trucks enter the city area using this bridge which forced us to repair it to avoid any untoward situation. Earlier, heavy traffic entered Raja Bazaar via Dhoke Hassu, Carriage Factory and Ganjmandi but it now enters the city via Marble Factory Road, Bakery Chowk and Transit Camp Road,” Syed Munawar Shah said.

We even hung warning banners over the bridge asking people not to use it for heavy traffic as it was dangerous, but all efforts fell on deaf ears of the civic bodies, he added.

Furthermore, RCB spokesman Qaiser Mehmood told Dawn that the bridge was property of PR. “It was constructed by Pakistan Railways and maintenance is also their responsibility, which is why we did not launch any work on it,” he said, adding that a joint team of PR and RCB conducted a survey, defining the limits of cantonment board and PR a month ago.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2020