SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today inaugurated a 216-metre long bridge in Sopore township whose construction was started more than two decades ago.
"Bringing to an end the excruciatingly-long wait of the people of Sopore town, the Chief Minister inaugurated the 216-metre-long Sopore Bypass Bridge, which had shifted several deadlines, ever since its construction first started 23 years ago," an official spokesman said.
He said the Chief Minister, during his earlier visit to the Apple Town, as Sopore is famously known as, on July 23, had directed Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to get the bridge ready by August.
"I had given my word last month and today I have fulfilled my promise," the Chief Minister said, while addressing a huge gathering of people.
Reiterating his commitment to improve connectivity to annihilate distances, Sayeed said the opening of the Sopore Bypass Bridge comes as a major relief to the people as it will de-congest the main Sopore town and rid it from frequent traffic jams.
"The bridge will facilitate movement of heavy vehicles away from the town and connect Sopore outskirts with Kupwara and Baramulla in north Kashmir," he said.
Sayeed said he wanted to see Sopore as a premier fruit marketing hub for which it needs better roads and a fully-equipped fruit mandi.
He said his Government has already started working on it in a mission mode.
Referring to the initiatives he took during his previous tenure as Chief Minister to strengthen the cross-LoC travel and trade, Sayeed said he favours hassle-free trade and to-and-fro movement of people, in particular cultural troupes, students, pilgrims and tourists across the LoC.
"The opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road was an invitation to the people from across the LoC to see infrastructure development in the state," he said.