New Delhi: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed a permanent bridge on Ravi river connecting Punjab’s Kasowal Enclave with the rest of the country. The enclave of around 35 square kilometres had so far been connected with a pontoon bridge of limited load capacity, the government said in a statement.
The bridge has a length of 484 meters. The bridge cost BRO Rs 17.89 crore excluding the approaches, consist of 16 cells of 30.25-metre length each.
BRO had initially planned to open the bridge at the time for Vaisakhi festival so that the farmers of Punjab could transport their harvest to the market with ease. The 16th and last cell division was completed on the 15 March 2020 when the construction had to be halted due to the lockdown. To make sure that the farmers do not suffer in the harvesting season, BRO obtained necessary local government approvals to continue construction.
The pontoon bridge that was there so far used to be dismantled annually just before monsoons.