GUJRAT, July 16: The Provin-cial Highway Department repaired the damaged portion of Bole Bridge at Helsy Nullah late on Tuesday, but the bridge will open to traffic after one week.

The bridge was closed to traffic when it developed a 25-foot by 8-foot in width hole on Tuesday. Up to 200 towns and villages, including Jalalpur Jattan and Karianwala, were cut off with the Gujrat city. District government and Highway Department officials rushed to the bridge and closed it to traffic. Bole Bridge also connects the University of Gujrat’s Hafiz Hayat campus with the city.

Highway Sub-Division Officer Asif Chatha said the design of the new Bole Bridge had been approved and the work on the Rs40 million bridge would be initiated in two months. People, especially the university students, protested the apathy of the authorities for ignoring the bridge.

Nullah Helsy is situated in the city’s suburbs and the 310ft long bridge was built on it on Jalalpur Jattan Road in 1954. Highway Department officials say the estimated life of bridge was 30 years at the time of its construction. During the last monsoon rains, the bridge was damaged but the Highway Department repaired it temporarily.