Sopore, Jul 21: More than two decades after the historic Bakhshi-era Chankhan bridge was declared unsafe for vehicular traffic, and years after it was completely abandoned, Sopore town is set to get a modern footbridge.
The new Chankhan to Ashpeer footbridge will replace the iconic bridge built over river Jehlum in 1953 during the tenure of the then Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Mohammad Bakhshi.
MLA Irshad Rasool Kar, while calling the bridge a lifeline for the people said that the Rs 9.16 crore project would restore a vital pedestrian link and improve connectivity for thousands of residents living on either side of the river.
The old Chankhan bridge had served the people of Sopore for decades before it was declared unsafe for vehicular traffic in 1999. Despite the restriction, it continued to be used by pedestrians until 2019, when authorities stopped movement after the bridge developed major cracks and its central pillar collapsed.
The abandoned structure suffered further damage on the intervening night of March 20, 2023, when unidentified miscreants allegedly set the bridge on fire, leaving the historic structure in ruins.
Later, on November 22, 2023, the remains of the bridge were auctioned for Rs 65 lakh to recover revenue for the government exchequer.
For years after the closure of the old bridge, residents, including students and elderly people, were left with no option but to cross the river through the main bridge, which does not have a dedicated footpath. Locals had repeatedly expressed concern over the safety risks posed by pedestrians sharing the narrow carriageway with vehicles.
The demand for a replacement bridge had remained one of the major civic issues in the area. However, the project expected to restore a safe and direct pedestrian link, ending years of inconvenience—(KNO)
