Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar with MoS in PMO Jitendra Singh at the inauguration of the first cable-stayed bridge on river Ravi named 'Atal Setu' at Basholi in J&K. PTIBasohli (J&K): A strategically-important cable-stayed bridge, only the fourth in the country, was inaugurated on Thursday, marking a crucial step as it will provide close connectivity among the three states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
The 592-metre span bridge on Ravi river here in Kathua on the Dunera-Basohli-Bhaderwah road was dedicated to the nation by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, flanked by Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag.
The Basohli bridge is only the fourth of its kind in India. The other three cable-stayed bridges are Hooghly Bridge at Kolkata, Naini Bridge in Allahabad and Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link in Mumbai, officials said.
The bridge, built by Border Roads Organisation (BRO), is strategically important from defence point of view. It will reduce the distance of travel to Punjab and HP and help improve connectivity and tourism between the three states.
"It was the most challenging task before the BRO engineers to accomplish this task," officials said.
"Not only the Indian engineers and consultants, the agencies from Canada, Japan, Spain and Switzerland have also been engaged for the completion of this prestigious project by the BRO authorities," they said.
The work on the maiden cable-stay bridge of the state was started in September 2011 after UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone in May 2011. It was built at the cost of Rs 145 crore.
The bridge was built on the demand of people of Basohli where over 22 villages were submerged in water and evacuated to other places after the construction of Ranjit Sagar dam.
(With Agency inputs)
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