Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hem Raj Berwa has restricted the movement of vehicles carrying loads of more than 20 tonnes over the strategic Beas bridge at Dehra Gopipur, following advice from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The Deputy Commissioner has directed truck and tipper operators carrying loads exceeding the prescribed limit to avoid the Dehra Gopipur bridge and instead use the alternative route via Nadaun.
The move comes amid growing concerns over the safety of the 64-year-old bridge, which connects Kangra, Chamba and parts of Mandi with Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana and Delhi. Built in 1962 by the then Punjab government, when Kangra was part of Punjab, the bridge is now under the National Highways wing of the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department.
The bridge has long outlived its original design life. It was constructed to carry vehicles weighing around five to 10 tonnes, while heavy trucks and tippers carrying 20 to 30 tonnes have increasingly been using it in recent years.
The restrictions have highlighted the long-pending need for replacing the ageing bridge. The structure carries a high volume of traffic and serves as an important gateway to Himachal Pradesh from neighbouring states.
