Bridge installation at Mahandri: Travel to GB via Kaghan valley halted for 4 days

MANSEHRA: The district administration on Friday announced a four-day suspension of travel to Gilgit-Baltistan via the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road to facilitate the installation of a mega steel bridge in the Mahandri area of Kaghan valley.

“As the central bridge in Mahandri, which was swept away in last year’s flash floods, is being replaced with a new structure, the MNJ Road will remain closed for all traffic from June 15 to June 18,” District Police Officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur told reporters in Kaghan.

Deputy Commissioner Khaliq Iqbal and DPO Gandapur visited the tourist facilitation centre at Damgalla and paid surprise visits to police stations in Naran and Paras to inspect security arrangements for both domestic and foreign tourists visiting the valley.

Gandapur said the new 33-foot-wide bridge would help accommodate the increasing influx of tourists during the summer season and ensure uninterrupted travel between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

“This bridge, which was destroyed in last year’s flash floods, had suspended inter-provincial traffic for weeks. The new installation is crucial for safe and efficient travel,” the DPO said.He clarified that although Shogran would remain accessible, the MNJ Road section between Mahandri and Babusar Top, a key route to Gilgit-Baltistan, would be completely closed for the duration of the construction work.

Gandapur said Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Mehmood and Deputy Inspector General of Police Hazara Range Nasir Mehmood Satti had directed enhanced security measures in the valley, which led to the deployment of additional personnel.