ALPURI: The residents of Shangla have urged the government, the National Highway Authority (NHA) and all political parties to set aside personal, party, and political interests and immediately start work on the reconstruction of the main bridge in Alpuri.
The local elders and residents warned that in the event of any major tragedy, responsibility would rest squarely with an incompetent administration, silent elected representatives and self-serving politicians.
Located in Alpuri, the headquarters of Shangla district, the dilapidated bridge originally constructed during the era of the former Swat State poses a serious risk of a major accident at any time. Built in the 1970s to facilitate only a few hundred vehicles, the bridge has now deteriorated severely.
Large potholes have developed at the centre and on both sides of the bridge, creating a constant danger for commuters and vehicles.Thousands of vehicles from across Shangla district, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kohistan use to pass over the bridge daily. Traffic congestion is a routine matter, and heavy vehicles frequently get stuck in the damaged sections, resulting in prolonged traffic jams.
Despite repeated surveys conducted by the NHA for the reconstruction of the bridge, the project has yet to be initiated. Sources in the NHA claimed that the project had been deliberately delayed on political grounds.
According to sources, influential individuals affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) own buildings on both sides of the bridge, and the party allegedly defends these interests in return for political loyalty. Although the deteriorating condition of the bridge frequently draws attention on social media, elected representatives from the area have allegedly continued to delay construction through various tactics. During the period of militancy, the bridge underwent minor repairs after heavy military tanks crossed it, but those repairs have since worn out. Despite the gravity of the situation, responsible departments, elected representatives and political leadership have maintained complete silence.
The bridge has become the sole central artery linking Shangla, Lower and Upper Kohistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Thousands of passenger vehicles, goods carriers, oil tankers, buses, and other heavy transport vehicles cross it daily.
Several sections at the centre of the bridge have completely lost their concrete surface, forming deep potholes that worsen during rainfall. Safety railings are also damaged at many points, while the structure on both sides has weakened.
Heavy vehicles frequently become stuck, causing hours-long traffic jams and severe hardship for local residents, transporters, patients, women, children, and travellers. Local residents warned that if a large bus or oil tanker were to become stuck in the middle of the bridge, dozens of lives could be lost within moments.
Over the past few years, the NHA has conducted several surveys for the expansion and reconstruction of the bridge. After each survey, files are either shelved or the project is postponed under new pretexts and political pressure, fueling public anger. Well-placed NHA sources disclosed that the primary obstacle to the project was neither technical nor financial, but purely political. “Multi-storey buildings owned by influential individuals linked to the PMLN stand on both sides of the bridge,” alleged a source.To protect these structures from potential damage, political considerations are being prioritised over public safety.
