Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated a Bailey bridge at Choli on the Kharamukh-Holi road in Chamba district virtually on Wednesday, nearly a month and a half after the existing bridge collapsed.
The chief minister praised the efforts of the Public Works Department (PWD) and its engineers for completing the bridge’s construction in a record time. He also appreciated the endeavours of PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh for taking special interest in completing the work at the earliest.
The earlier Choli bridge in the Bharmour assembly constituency of Chamba district collapsed on February 3, injuring two people. The new 190-foot-long bridge, built at a cost of Rs 2.50 crore, will benefit around 15,000 people in the 10 gramme panchayats of the area, according to a statement issued here.
Laying emphasis on better road infrastructure in the state, Sukhu said it is the resolve of the present government to provide the best road connectivity to the people so that they do not face any inconvenience.
He said the Public Works Department has been asked to undertake maintenance and widening of roads on a priority basis to ensure comfort to commuters. He said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has agreed in principle to the construction of a four-lane road from Shimla to Matour with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore and the Rs 12,000 crore project for the four-laning of the Pathankot to Mandi road. PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Ram Kumar Chaudhary and Sanjay Awasthi, and former minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri were present on the occasion.
