Slow pace of construction work at Tengpora hits vehicular movement

Srinagar, Apr 8: The construction work near Tengpora-Gangbug bridge has severely affected vehicular movement on the vital stretch.

Commuters said that the slow pace of work has led to the closure of one side of the road, which has created a major bottleneck near the Tengpora area.

The commuters said that officials have now provided a connected intersection that merges the two-way traffic on a single lane. They said that point has become a major issue, halting traffic for hours. They said the road stretch caters to the massive traffic from Parimpora, north Kashmir, south Kashmir, Hyderpora, and adjoining areas, and the issue has choked all the traffic flow.

“During peak hours, we are stuck for hours here. We often reach our destination late and it creates a major inconvenience for us. We request authorities to complete the work as soon as possible,” said Irfan Ahmad, a commuter.

The commuters said that the bypass stretch is dotted with multiple hospitals, such as JVC and Children’s Hospital, and it also connects to private hospitals like Noora Hospital. They said essential services like Ambulances are often stuck in traffic due to the issue. They said that traffic from nearby schools and the flow of trucks from Parimpora have made the issue worse.

“We had a patient stuck in our private vehicle for hours as we were heading from Noora hospital towards our home in south Kashmir. This can lead to major issues to critical care patients,” said another commuter.

A senior official from the Traffic Police in Srinagar said that the traffic jam is triggered when vehicles change lanes and merge into a single lane.

“The connecting intersection, which is around 50 meters long, is bumpy and acts as an unnecessary speed breaker. This is where the traffic accumulates and chokes,” said the official.

Officials from R&B said that the work on the bridge is going on in full swing and they will ensure to complete it in the shortest possible time.

"We have merged the traffic in few hundred-meter stretch near the bridge as the work is ongoing. We will complete the work in around two months, and the issue will be resolved accordingly," said the official from R&B.