Jetty bridge in Baramulla remains incomplete even after 23 years

Baramulla, Nov. 30: More than two decades after its approval, the Jetty Bridge—once envisioned as a crucial link to ease traffic congestion in Baramulla town—remains unfinished, with only two incomplete pillars marking the site of a project long stalled and now effectively shelved.

Approved in 2002 at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore, the bridge was designed to divert heavy traffic moving toward Rafiabad and Kupwara, offering major relief to the choked stretches of Baramulla town. Construction began the same year, but progress slowed and eventually stopped, with no work carried out for over a decade.

Officials said the project was shelved by the administrative department of Roads and Buildings (R&B) after the cost escalated dramatically from the initial `2 crore to nearly Rs 50 crore.

The steep rise prompted the J&K Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC), the original executing agency, to suspend work. The project was later transferred to the R&B department, which also failed to revive it due to repeated poor responses to tenders.

Earlier, the R&B department had sought additional funds from the government to finalise a fresh tender, but officials said the project slowly lost priority following the development of the Delina Bypass, which now provides an alternate route for Kupwara-bound traffic.

Minister for Roads and Buildings Javed Ahmad Dar confirmed that the project stands shelved at the administrative level. “The project faced huge cost escalation, due to which there was no response from any construction agency,” he told Greater Kashmir.

MLA Baramulla Javed Hassan Baig said the likelihood of reviving the Jetty Bridge project is minimal. “It is very unlikely that work will resume, as the government is already constructing the Delina Bypass. The Jetty Bridge was meant to divert traffic toward Kupwara, but now that diversion will happen near Delina. The bridge no longer holds the same relevance,” he said.

With no active construction and no renewed administrative push, the Jetty Bridge remains a symbol of prolonged delays and shifting priorities—23 years after it was first conceived.