The Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department has accelerated restoration works across Jammu, Samba, and Kathua, with officials confirming that most damaged roads—where work is already underway—will be fully restored by December 15. The overall repair effort is expected to cost ₹72 crore.
At the same time, the Government is finalising plans to hand over the reconstruction of the damaged portion of the Fourth Tawi Bridge to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) or another Central agency with expertise in major structural works.
Official sources told Excelsior that nearly 300 restoration works have already been tendered across the three districts. Work has begun on many roads, while others will soon be taken up under the City & Town Scheme.
They added that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for roads and bridges completely damaged in the recent floods—including several stretches in the Nagrota constituency—have already been submitted to the Government. Construction on these major projects will start as soon as administrative approval is granted.
Some key roads have already been restored. The Panjtirthi–Sidhra road, damaged by monsoon-triggered landslides, is now fully functional, and the Nagrota–Kole Kandoli stretch has also been repaired at a cost of ₹35 lakh.
For the larger flood-related damages, particularly in Nagrota and other parts of Jammu region, the R&B Department has sought additional funds. Once sanctioned, the remaining works will be tendered immediately.
Meanwhile, several important link roads have also been restored. The Kot Bhalwal–Dansal route is operational again, and a proposal seeking ₹34 crore has been submitted for the construction of a new 350-metre motorable bridge at Katal Batal, after the existing footbridge was washed away in the floods.
Sources said the Sidrah–Surinsar–Mansar road, which too suffered heavy damage, has been opened for traffic temporarily. For its complete restoration, a proposal worth ₹12.5 crore is now awaiting Government approval. All smaller link roads in the Nagrota area have already been restored, they added.
Restoration work is also progressing in Bhatindi and Sunjwan under the C&T Scheme, while flood-damaged roads in these areas have already been repaired.
Macadamisation of the Ambphalla–Bantalab road is currently underway, and the Muthi–Akalpur and Muthi–Rajouri Line link roads have been fully macadamised. Road construction and blacktopping have also begun in parts of Bishnah, Rajpura (Samba), and the Bahu constituency.
On the Fourth Tawi Bridge, sources said while the bridge has been temporarily restored for traffic, the Government intends to entrust the permanent reconstruction of its damaged portion to NHAI or another expert Central agency. The Public Works Department has already restored both tubes of the bridge for vehicle movement, and final touches on the approach road are in progress.
Temporary restoration of the bridge is expected to cost ₹1.72 crore, while the complete reconstruction of the damaged portion is estimated to require around ₹30 crore. The exact figure will be finalised after the DPR is completed.
It may be recalled that a portion of the road on both tubes of the bridge was washed away on the Belicharana side during the recent floods, bringing traffic to a halt. Though the R&B Department restored connectivity temporarily, the Government has opted for a Central agency for the long-term, permanent solution.
Chief Engineer R&B, Rajiv Gupta, confirmed that work has started on 300 projects amounting to ₹72 crore, and the majority of heavily damaged roads will be restored by December 15.
He added that the Fourth Tawi Bridge has also been temporarily restored and that the remaining work on the approach road will be completed within a week.
