BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab Communication and Works (C&W) department is likely to open Panjnad Headworks bridge near Uch Sharif for traffic on Aug 14.

The highways officials are rapidly completing work on the two-way road on the bridge that has taken about two years to complete. Due to the closure of the bridge during the last two years the traffic was diverted to other routes of Sutlej Highway Bridge near Bahawalpur and East Jhangra Bridge near Jalalpur Peerwala.

The diversion caused losses of millions of rupees to the traders and the business community belonging to the area, particularly to the petrol pump owners and the daily wagers who had been demanding opening of the bridge at the earliest.

It may be recalled that Panjnad Headworks was completed in 1932 by the Bahawalpur state. Since then, the bridge has been rehabilitated many times to cope with the rising flood. But for many years, the repair and rehabilitation of the highway overhead remained ignored and the road on the bridge became unusable for traffic as a number of ditches had appeared on it, making it dangerous for vehicles.

The PML-N government in Punjab had allocated millions of rupees for the repair and rehabilitation project, which was now expected to open on Aug 14.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2020