PAKISTAN: The government has approved an allocation of Rs. 600 million to complete the Indus River bridge between Taunsa and Layyah which would commence following the construction of a 24-kilometer two-lane road.
According to a National Highway Authority (NHA) official, the project would cost over Rs. 9.7 billion and the department already spent over Rs. 5.1 billion on the project in the previous fiscal year.
The official stated that the bridge connecting Layyah and Taunsa had been completed, but the roads going up to the bridge remained incomplete.
As per the details, the bridge connects Layyah on the east bank of the Indus River to Taunsa on the west bank of the river in the DG Khan district.
The official added that the only two links between these two cities are the DI Khan-Darya Khan Bridge, which is 88 kilometers upstream of the project site, and the Taunsa Barrage, which is 52 kilometers downstream.
It is to note that due to the unavailability of the bridge between Layyah and Taunsa, people have to drive 100 kilometers on road to go from Layyah to Taunsa but upon completion of this bridge, it would drastically cut travel distance and time for individuals traveling between the two cities.
These bridges are too low. We can’t move massive cargo ships from underneath them. It is because of this infrastructure that we cannot use the river indus for inland trade. And it is because of this reason we suffer from poverty and have become a nation of beggars.